Sri Lanka gov't captures LTTE FDL in Muhamalai, nearly 200 dead
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, Sept 11, IRNA
Sri Lanka-Violence
Sri Lankan security forces captured the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)'s Forward Defence Line (FDL) at Muhamalai in the Jaffna peninsula Sunday after a fierce battle that killed at least 28 soldiers and 150 Tigers.
Sri Lankan military sources said the military launched the fresh operation in the wake of the LTTE firing mortar rounds at the security forces' bunker line from strategically located mortar positions over the past several days, ColomboPage reported.
"The limited defensive action was directed at neutralizing the mortar positions which constantly damaged the security forces' bunkers and was a threat to the forward defence positions," military spokesperson Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said.
The troops retaliated against the LTTE's continuous fire and pushed the Tigers' advance back after breaking into their positions and neutralizing their firepower.
Twenty-eight soldiers were killed in the operation while another 120 were injured and admitted to hospital, Brigadier Samarasinghe reported.
As dawn broke on Sunday, ground troops were consolidating their positions and clearing the area of all explosive devices that were buried by the LTTE ahead of their defence lines.
Meanwhile, media reports said here that the fighting has also effectively cut off the only road access to the peninsula, where about 8,000 civilians, including a large number of foreign nationals of Sri Lankan origin, are believed to be trapped.
The Sri Lankan Navy on Saturday moved 795 civilians in a military ship to the northeastern port town of Trincomalee.
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