The Sri Lankan military on Monday claimed that at least 45 cadre of the LTTE, including a "senior Sea Tiger leader", were killed and several others injured in fierce battles on the last stretches of land and sea under control of the Tigers.The Defence Ministry said troops operating north of Palamathalan to rescue Tamil civilians held in the "No-Fire Zone" breached an LTTE-built earth bund and inflicted heavy damage on the enemy.
Quoting intercepted LTTE communication channels, the Ministry claimed a senior Sea Tiger leader known as Uththaman who commanded the ground battle was also killed.
In subsequent search operations troops found 13 bodies of LTTE cadre along with military items left behind by the fleeing Tigers.
Separately, the Sri Lanka Navy said that during two fierce gun battles that erupted in the seas off Chalai and Mullathivu, it destroyed four Sea Tiger boats, killing 26 Sea Tigers.
The Navy said units of its elite Boat Squadrons intercepted and engaged two clusters of Sea Tiger boats on two separate occasions.
"Three Sea Tiger boats were destroyed in the seas off Chalai around [March] 29th midnight and the other Sea Tiger boat was destroyed in the seas off Mullathivu during the wee hours," it said.
It said enemy transmissions revealed that several LTTE leaders including Maran have been killed. One sailor died and three Navy personnel, including one officer, were injured in the incident.
"Sri Lanka Navy exercises maximum precautions when confronting LTTE Sea Tiger movements in order to maintain zero casualties to Tamil civilians who also use the seas to flee into cleared areas. A well-fortified naval blockade has been put in place to cut off all sea tiger movements in the seas off Nayaru, Mullaithivu, Chalai and Chundikulum. This has forced LTTE Sea Tigers to make desperate attempts at breaking through the naval defences even at the expense of heavy cadre and vessel losses," the Navy said.
Separately, the military said 332 civilians managed reach security forces in Iranamadu.
Meanwhile, pro-LTTE TamilNet charged that the Sri Lanka Army artillery, mortar and long-distance gunfire throughout Sunday killing at least 53 civilians and causing injuries to around 119. Sri Lanka military in the past has denied charges of targeting civilians.