4TH LEAD (PHOTOS, UPDATE)
Tigers recover 8 SLA bodies, seize 18 weapons in Ki'laali fighting
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 December 2008, 15:36 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) said Tuesday that they seized two Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launchers, one AK-LMG, fourteen T-56 assault rifles and a 40 mm Grenade Launcher after repulsing an SLA-initiated offensive push that lasted for 9 hours from 1:20 a.m. Tuesday. The Tigers have earlier claimed that at least 40 SLA soldiers were killed and more than 120 sustained injuries. Information from Jaffna also indicates heavy casualties on SLA-side. The latest debacle of the SLA in Jaffna comes after a recent by the SLA commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka and the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
 Dead bodies of SLA soldiers and weapons seized by the Tigers [Photo: LTTE]
The SLA has admitted that 25 soldiers were killed, 10 soldiers were missing and around 160 soldiers sustained injuries in the fighting on Tuesday explaining that they made a 'tactical withdrawal' in Ki'laali. Sources in Jaffna said that the main access roads, the Palaali road and the A9 Kandy Road were blocked several times by the SLA to transport military casualties. Meanwhile, sources in Colombo said 2 civilian flights to and from Palaali and Ratmalana were canceled on Tuesday as the injured soldiers were being flown to Colombo. At least 10 ambulances were seen leaving Ratmalana from 11:30 a.m. onwards.  Arms and ammunitions seized by the Tigers [Photo: LTTE]
 Dead bodies of SLA soldiers [Photo: LTTE]
 Dead bodies of SLA soldiers and weapons seized by the Tigers [Photo: LTTE]
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