SLA move towards Mavilaru defeated - LTTE

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 July 2006, 08:05 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) operation launched from Welikande towards Mavilaru in Vaharai region Friday morning was defeated by the Tigers at Thonithandamadu, 15 km off the reservoir, said I. Ilanthirayan, the military spokesman of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Shells were fired by the withdrawing SLA forces, he further said.

The SLA troopers, on Friday, launched the operation from southwest of LTTE controlled Vaharai region.

Referring to the air strikes carried out by the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) on Wednesday and Thursday, Mr. Ilanthairayan said that the SLAF bombing Mullaithivu, district and in Kathiraveli, in Batticaloa district, indicated that Colombo was using a civilian crisis, which was already being resolved, as excuse to launch air-strikes in LTTE controlled area.