SLA facing cas-evac problems

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Reports from Vavuniya revealed today that the Sri Lankan Army is faced with serious casualty evacuation problems in the forward areas of Operation Jayasikurui in the Vanni due to concentrated LTTE mortar fire and stormy monsoon weather.

On Tuesday (4th of November) twelve soldiers in an SLA position east of Mankulam were wounded when the Liberation Tigers launched a heavy mortar attack on it.

All the wounded soldiers were in need of urgent treatment.Their officers radioed for immediate air lift.

Although helicopters were sent into the area without much delay to evacuate the casualties, none were able to land due to the very bad monsoon weather and the heavy shelling from the LTTE's mortar positions.

If this were to continue, morale in the Jayasikurui's forward areas east and southeast of Mankulam might hit a low said sources close to the army in Vavuniya.