200 killed as battle for Jaffna peninsula rages on
Dated 10/9/2006
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The Sri Lankan military captured LTTE's Forward Defence Line (FDL) at Muhamalai in the Jaffna peninsula in a fierce battle that killed at least 28 soldiers and 150 Tamil Tigers.
A Sri Lankan military spokesman said they had advanced 600m into the LTTE held territory since the latest clashes broke out in the Muhamalai area. The military launched a fresh operation in he peninsula after the LTTE continued firing mortars at the security forces' bunker line.
"The limited defensive action was directed at neutralizing the mortar positions which constantly damaged the security forces bunkers and was a threat to the forward defence positions," military spokesperson Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said.
Twenty-eight soldiers were killed in the operation, while another 119 were injured and admitted to hospital, Brig. Samarasinghe reported, adding that more than 150 LTTE cadres have also been killed during the offensive.
However, Brig. Samarasinghe said that the offensive "was a limited operation to neutralise LTTE's artillery bases".
Meanwhile, Tigers have refuted the claims of the Lankan military and have put the toll to only 6. LTTE also denied of their bunkers being destroyed by the military.
