Tigers overrun Pallai SLA base

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 April 2000, 14:40 GMT]
The combat formations of the Liberation Tigers overran the massive military base at Pallai and took control of the town and its surrounding villages today the organisation said in a press release from its London offices. The Tigers said with the fall of Pallai town, the Liberation Tigers have secured a strongly entrenched foothold in the Thenmarachchi division of the peninsula facilitating their advance towards the capital of Jaffna.

Following is the full text of the press release:

"The combat formations of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) overran the massive military base at Pallai, about 15 kilometres north of Elephant Pass, and took control of the town and its surrounding villages today.

"The well-fortified and strategically crucial garrison town fell to the LTTE fighters this evening around 6p.m. after 12 hours of ferocious fighting. The special commando units of the LTTE backed by heavy artillery and mortar bombardment launched a multi-pronged attack on the central military base at Pallai in the early hours of the morning. After intense fighting that lasted several hours, the Tamil Tiger commandos stormed into the military base inflicting heavy casualties on the Sri Lankan troops. The LTTE fighting units have also destroyed several mini-camps and the heavily guarded artillery base.

"Overwhelmed by the ferocity of the LTTE's offensive assault, the Sri Lankan troops fled in disorder leaving a large number of dead soldiers in the battlefield. While the troops took flight along Killali route the LTTE fighters advanced further north and forged a link with Tiger cadres occupying the A9 highway at Muhamali, bringing a large track of territory in Thenmarachchi under their control.

"According to reports from the battlefield the LTTE fighters have amassed a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from the Pallai military base. With the fall of Pallai town, the Liberation Tigers have secured a strongly entrenched foothold in the Thenmarachchi division of the peninsula facilitating their advance towards the capital of Jaffna."