SLA claims Mankulam advance

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Reports from Vavuniya said that mortar and artillery fire continued to rock the Mankulam area through the night as large columns of the SLA attempted to push out of their positions to the east and to the west of the strategic junction.

The SLA said that despite very heavy resistance, troops of Operation Jayasikurui have managed to capture some areas west of Mankulam.

The VoT, meanwhile, said that government troops are destroying jungles for more than half a kilometer on either side of the roads they have captured in the Vanni in Operation Jayasikurui.

Sri Lankan Navy sources said that they were able to successfully salvage the two Chinese made T-86 Infantry Combat Vehicles (ICV) and a large quantity of weapons on board the landing craft 'Pabaththa' which was sunk by the Sea Tigers off the Jaffna coast on February 22.

They did not say whether they got any assistance from the Indian Navy for the operation. They also said that two decomposed bodies believed to be those of SLN sailors washed ashore in Tamil Naadu on Saturday.