Sri Lankan military says advancing troops have a major breakthrough against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Wednesday as the first bunker lines of Tamil Tiger defence at Muhamalai and Nagarkovil in Jaffna were destroyed in a surprise attack during the wee hours today.
100 infantrymen ran through the LTTE defence positions smashing 35 bunkers of the Tamil outfit. "Intercepted wireless communication of the LTTE has confirmed that at least 10 of them were killed," All India Radio (AIR) reported here quoting Sri Lankan military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara as telling the media in Colombo.
But according to the grounded troops about 30 Tamil Tigers were either killed or wounded, Brig. Nanayakkara added.
Seven soldiers were injured during the confrontations.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan air force today bombed a field headquarters of the Tamil tigers at Vettukadu (Vettu Kaadu) in Jaffna today. Air force spokesman Wing commander Andrew Wijessorya said that the target, two kilometres south of Muhamalai, was hit accurately.
Addressing the media conference the Defence Ministry spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said that Periya Madhu area in Mannar has been declared a 'no war zone'.
He added that the military had no hand in yesterday's claymore blast targeting a passenger bus. 20 civilians, including 11 school children were killed and 14 others wounded in the blast for which the LTTE had blamed the army.
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