Fierce fighting in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Fierce fighting broke out today around 11.30 a.m. this morning when the Liberation Tigers attacked a large Sri Lankan army patrol from the Vaddukkoddai SLA camp at Sangaraththai in Jaffna.

Sources close to the army in the peninsula said that this was the biggest confrontation between the SLA and the LTTE in the peninsula since the conclusion of Operation Riviresa -1 in late 1995.

Eight soldiers were initially reported killed in the LTTE attack. Two Tigers were also killed.

Unconfirmed reports later indicated that at least twenty two Sri Lankan army soldiers might have been killed in the confrontation.

The LTTE group responsible for this attack has asked people in the area to light lamps on Maveerar day.

Meanwhile the Sri Lankan airforce, according to sources, is planning to cancel all flights to and from Jaffna from Sunday.