At least 29 Tamil Tigers and three soldiers were killed in embattled northern Sri Lanka where the army is locked in fierce fighting against LTTE cadres as it pushed to recapture the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi.
Three LTTE cadres were killed when troops opened a surprise assault at a small rebel group moving in general area Pannikkankulam, Northwest of Mankulam at the Mullaittiuvu battlefront on Saturday, the defence ministry said.
“Combined troops of the 7th Light Infantry and 15th Sinha Regiment under the 57 Division are operating in this area,” the military said, adding that the attack was launched at around 3.50 pm.
There were as many as 13 confrontations that took place in Andankulam in Mullaittivu, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said adding at least two LTTE cadres were killed in the early clashes in the region.
In another clash, troops killed one tiger militant and injured another in the day, it said adding another LTTE cadre was killed when the security forces attacked a tiger bunker there.
Meanwhile, one security personnel lost his life in Pandiweddikulam in Kilinochchi on Saturday, the MCNS said adding one rebel was shot dead in Akkarayankulam in the region on the same day.
Later in the day, troops killed at least 19 LTTE cadres in Pandiweddikulam while losing one soldier in the fighting, the military said.
In search operations, the army found 58 Anti-Personnel Mines and four IED in the region, it said. Two soldiers were also killed in Akkarayankulam, the officials said.
