Sri Lanka: Heavy Fighting in Manaar Kills 30 - LTTE

Manaar - The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan security forces (SF) clashed in Karukaikulam area in Mannar,  when the SF troopers tried to advance into the LTTE held area using heavy tanks, artillery and mortars.  At least 30 SF troopers were killed and large number of  SF troopers were wounded, five dead bodies of the SF troopers recovered along with large quantity of war materials and attacks by the SF completely thwarted, according LTTE military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan.

Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) carried out indiscriminate bombing in Mannaar area using Kifir, MIGs and helicopters.  SF troopers also lost an Armored Personal Carrier (APC) and towed the burnt APC by SF.

Sri Lankan government early this year, unilaterally scrapped the truce pact which was signed between the LTTE and the GoSL in February 2002 under the Norway mediation. 

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