SLA soldier killed, 15 amputated after fresh offensive in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 July 2007, 08:54 GMT]
At least one Sri Lanka Army soldier was killed and 20 seriously wounded when SLA soldiers attempted to move into Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled territory in Mannaar-Vavuniyaa border Saturday morning. 15 of the wounded soliders were amputated, according to military sources. "The soldiers were locked into heavy fighting along a Forward Defence Line, which they believed was a crack in enemy lines," a SLA official in Vavuniyaa, who did not wished to be named, was quoted by the sources as saying.

"The soldiers were forced to confront an apparant trap," the SLA official further said.

Heavy fighting was raging along the Forward Defence Line at Periya Thampanai from Friday mid-night till Saturday 01:00 p.m., informed miilitary sources in Vavuniyaa said.

The LTTE is yet to release details of the SLA offensive.

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