Tigers attack Police Patrol in Amparai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Six Special Task Force commandos and five home guards were killed when the Liberation Tigers attacked a joint clearing patrol today around 8.30 a.m. in Pulukunavai in the eastern Amparai district, said ex-militant sources in Europe when contacted by TamilNet.

Three civilians were also killed in the incident they added.

However, according to the Sri Lankan police 12 policemen were killed and 13 wounded while 12 Tigers were also killed, the sources added.

The police units in the Eastern Province, especially the elite police unit, the Special Task Force, are trained in counter insurgency techniques. Alongside Tamil para-military groups and home guards, the police routinely carry out clearing and cordon and search operations.

The army presence in the Eastern province is not as heavy as that in the North and has recently been further diluted by the movement of troops to the operation Jeyasikurui warfront.

The Sri Lankan government has imposed strict censorship on the reporting of military activity. This, combined with the ban on correspondents entering the war zone has made it impossible to independently verify events taking place there.