Heavy casualties in Jaffna offensive

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 September 2000, 15:36 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers are resisting a major offensive launched by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) across five fronts, the LTTE said Sunday. Over 100 SLA troops have been killed and several hundred wounded, a statement from the organisation's London office said. The SLA is using intense artillery and multi-barrel rocket launchers (MBRL) against LTTE held areas amid heavy fighting, the statement said, adding thousands of civilians have fled their homes.

Following is the full text of the press release:

"Over one hundred Sri Lankan soldiers have been killed and several hundreds injured as fierce fighting flared up between the government troops and the Liberation Tigers in the Jaffna and Chavakachcheri sectors today.

"The Sri Lankan army, with intense aerial cover, launched a massive offensive assault simultaneously on five fronts (Colombuthurai, Ariyalai, Madduvil, Sarasalai and Meesalai) in the Jaffna and Chavakachcheri sectors in the early hours of the morning today. Under the barrage of heavy artillery shelling and multi-barrel rockets, the government troops attacked the Tamil Tigers forward positions in the eastern sector of the Jaffna town and in Chavakachcheri. Heavy fighting is still continuing.

"Facing superior fire power from land and from air, the LTTE combat formations are putting up fierce resistance inflicting heavy casualties on the government troops. According to reports from the battlefield, more than one hundred Sri Lankan soldiers have been killed and several hundreds injured.

"As the government troops are shelling indiscriminately with artillery and multi-barrel rockets on civilian areas of Muthuraisanthai, Irupalai, Puttur and eastern coastal regions of Jaffna, several thousands of civilians have fled their homes."