DATE=3/30/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=SRI LANKA FIGHTING L-O
NUMBER=2-260777
BYLINE=VANDANA CHOPRA
DATELINE=COLOMBO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: At least 80 soldiers and five officers have
been killed in more than five days of heavy fighting
in Northern Sri Lanka. And as Vandana Chopra reports
from Colombo, Tamil Tiger rebels have asked residents
around military bases to evacuate ahead of fresh
fighting.
TEXT: The clandestine Voice of Tiger radio says
guerrillas are moving towards the northern Jaffna
region to take control of the area, which they lost to
the Sri Lankan army in 1996.
The announcement follows five days of heavy fighting
in which the rebels claim they overran a major
military base near the key Elephant Pass base complex,
which serves as a gateway to the Jaffna peninsula.
Military officials deny losing the base and say troops
are consolidating along the main supply route that
connects the peninsula with the rest of the island.
The Defense Ministry statement says ground troops
backed by the navy and airforce have effectively
repulsed rebel attacks.
Meanwhile, all civilian charter flights from the
Jaffna peninsula to the capital Colombo have been
suspended following Thursday's air-crash, which killed
all 40 on board. Military officials say the Russian
built aircraft had been chartered by the airforce and
was taking troops to the ancient city of Anuradhapura,
to attend funerals of relatives killed in recent
fighting against the Tiger rebels.
Witnesses say the plane caught fire before it crash-
landed northeast of Colombo.
In the past the Sri Lankan airforce has lost several
planes and helicopters to the Tiger guerrillas.
Rebel guerrillas have been fighting for a separate
homeland for the minority Tamil community in Sri
Lanka's north and east since 1983. (Signed)
NEB/VC/gm
30-Mar-2000 12:16 PM EDT (30-Mar-2000 1716 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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