Sri Lanka: Heavy Fighting Flares in Manaar

Manaar - The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fiercely attacked the Sri Lankan security forces (SF) when they tried to advance into the Forward Defense Line (FDL) from Thirukkeatheesvaram towards Veaddaiyaamurippu in Mannaar area on Tuesday 5:30 a.m. SF troopers sustained very heavy casualties. Another attack was carried out by the SF from Karukkaikulam targeting Vadakandal area at 8:15 a.m. A armoured personal carrier was completely destroyed in the mine attack at least 9 SF troopers were killed while many SF troopers were injured in the attack, according to the sources in Wanni.

Heavy fighting between the LTTE and the SF raged within past few months using Multi-Barrel Rockets, artillery and mortar fire mounted attacks on the LTTE position the Manaar, Weli Oya, Vavuniya, Muhamalai and Killali area and tried to advance into the LTTE held area. The LTTE had thwarted all the attempts of the SF into the LTTE held area attacks and the LTTE continued to offer stiff resistance killing hundreds of SF troopers.

The civil war in Sri Lanka killed at least 80,000 people most of them were ethnic Tamils while half a million people internally displaced and over million people externally displaced. At least 5,800 people have been killed in last two years alone, a right group said.