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| Sri Lanka |
| 43 killed in fierce Lankan offensive |
| 2008-09-03 |
| Government forces fought fierce battles with ethnic Tamil separatists along Sri Lanka's northern front lines in a wave of fighting that killed 43 rebels and four soldiers, the military said yesterday. The bloodshed came amid weeks of escalating violence in the area, as government troops pushed deep into rebel-held territory, seizing key Tamil Tiger bases and towns that had long been under rebel control. Battles raged Tuesday over the key town of Mallavi, which lies along an important northern road used by the rebels, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said. "We have taken over about three-quarters of the area," he said. "It's not cleared yet." Security forces marched into the town on Monday evening and on Tuesday morning were "hunting for remaining Tigers," the ministry said. "Domination of the well-known Mallavi town... marked one more decisive and impressive phase of the 'war for peace'," the ministry said, referring to its drive to take the Tiger political capital of Kilinochchi, further north. It said 49 guerrillas and 11 soldiers were also wounded in the fighting on Monday. The capture of Mallavi, where the Tigers had medical facilities, would be a psychological blow to the guerrillas as it is regarded the birth place of Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran's wife, defence officials said. In the worst of Monday's fighting, troops captured six bunkers in the Nachchikuda area of Kilinochchi region, killing 26 rebels, the military said. Fighting in the area also killed two soldiers, it said. Air force jets pounded a facility where the rebels stored mortar shells north of Nachchikuda on Tuesday morning, the military said. Battles across the Welioya, Mullaittivu and Vavuniya regions killed another 17 rebels and two soldiers, the military reported. The rebel-affiliated TamilNet Web site, citing unnamed Tamil Tiger officials, said at least seven soldiers were killed in the fighting at Nachchikuda. With most communication cut with the northern areas, rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan could not be reached for comment. |
| Posted by:Fred |