SLA beaten back in Ma'nalaa'ru

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 February 2008, 00:42 GMT]
A three pronged attack by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers Friday afternoon 12:15 p.m. in Ma'nalaa'ru battle front through Ma'nalaa'ru and Kokkuththoduvaay aimed at infiltrating into Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled areas was beaten back by LTTE fighters forcing to the SLA troopers to withdraw from the battle zone, Ma'nalaa'ru operations command of Tigers said.

SLA offensive supported by artillery fire lasted only an hour.

Casualty figures for SLA troops are not known. Tigers did not suffer any losses, according to LTTE spokesperson.

Meanwhile, SLA troopers began a series of attacks Friday afternoon on sentry points of LTTE, but the forward push by a large number of troops involved in the noon hour operation was foiled.

Within an hour of the SLA clashes, LTTE cadres surged forward and destroyed a SLA sentry point Aariyakundaan in Ma'nalaa'ru, after which they safely returned to their bases.

Tiger fighters had earlier destroyed another sentry tower in the same area Thursday afternoon.

SLA launched a pre-dawn attack Friday near the Forward Defence Lines (FDL) in the Northern Front from 5:30a.m for 20 minutes targeting LTTE bases in Ki'laali, Naakarkoayil and Mukamaalai .The troopers launching simultaneous attacks in three battle fronts were able to push forward a short distance, but were forced back.