SLA starts another operation for Jaffna road

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 December 2000, 07:36 GMT]
The Sri Lankan army launched an operation towards areas held by the Liberation Tigers west of Chavakachcheri in Jaffna Tuesday morning. SLA troops backed by artillery and armour are attempting to advance on the A9 highway in the direction of Navatkuli sources said. The LTTE held areas between Jaffna and Chavakachcheri were bombed heavily by the Sri Lanka Air Force since Saturday.

The SLA is bombarding suspected LTTE positions east of Jaffna town with Multi-Barrel Rocket Launchers sources said.

The SLA says that it has to push the Tigers out of the highway between the Jaffna town and Chavakachcheri to diminish their threat inside Jaffna.

The Liberation Tigers continue to hold the vital Pooneryn causeway and ferry south of Chavakachcheri. They also control the Jaffna lagoon coast south of the road linking Jaffna town and Chavakachcheri.

Today's operation is another in a series launched by the SLA to capture strategic segments of the road and its northeastern hinterland in the Madduvil sector.

"The progress is slow but steady" a military source in Jaffna said. He added that there was heavy resistance in some sectors west of Chavakachcheri.

The Tigers have not commented on the latest SLA operation.