Sri Lankan troops capture key reservoir, 40 Tigers killed
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, July 31, IRNA
Sri Lanka-LTTE-Killed
Sri Lankan troops captured a key reservoir in the North-east after an intense air and artillery raid that killed up to 40 Tamil Tigers, who asked Nordic monitors to officially declare that the faltering truce in the island nation was over.
Ground troops moved to Maavilaru irrigation tank and were close to opening the sluice gates that had been closed by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), PTI report said here quoting Lankan Defence Ministry spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella.
"We are now moving very slowly because there could be booby-trapped devices and the area could be heavily mined," Rambukwella said.
He said Israel-built Kfir jets flew over the area today but did not carry out any bombings unlike between Wednesday and Saturday when they heavily raided the surrounding regions. "Kfir jets flew over the area Sunday, but they did not drop any bombs." At least 40 rebels were killed in the air attacks carried out against a Tamil Tiger conference center yesterday.
LTTE asked Nordic monitors to declare that Sri Lanka's faltering truce was over following four days of bombing by airforce jets.
The intelligence sources said that at least 40 Tigers died in yesterday's aerial attacks in the district of Batticaloa, but the rebels maintained they lost only eight cadre.
It said a total of 15 rebels were killed in the bombing that began on Wednesday, including the eight killed yesterday.
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