Heavy fighting in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers simultaneously attacked Sri Lankan Army and Police posts at Chinnakkadai, Kurunagar jetty and Kolumbuthurai, 2 km southeast of the high security zone of Jaffna Town, around 12.15 Saturday morning, said ex-militant sources when contacted by TamilNet.

Heavy fighting that erupted between the SLA and the Tigers who had come in boats lasted for nearly two hours, and 11 army soldiers were reported to have been killed, the sources added.

Meanwhile according to the Defence ministry 2 SLA and soldiers were killed, while 5 soldiers and 2 civilians were wounded, the sources said. The ministry also said 9 Tigers were killed and 25 were wounded.

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.