Sri Lankan Troops Clash With Rebels; Heavy Losses Seen

Government troops overran Tamil rebel positions in the northern Jaffna peninsula Saturday in an offensive that left heavy losses on both sides, a military spokesman said.

“So far, we know that 26 terrorists were killed and 34 were wounded,” Brig. Sanath Karunaratne told reporters in Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital.

He added that one officer and 11 soldiers were killed and 32 wounded in the operation, which captured about four square miles of territory from the rebels near Jaffna city.

It was the second offensive by the military this month in Jaffna, after an operation more than a week ago that captured part of a road and left more than 30 Tamil rebels and 12 government troops dead.

“The terrorists fled before the advancing troops, abandoning their positions,” said Karunaratne, adding that the troops had also captured Kaitadi bridge, about six miles east of Jaffna city.

Karunaratne said at least two of the slain rebels were leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

“Monitored transmissions showed that the terrorist leaders instructed the cadres to leave their wounded and flee. This was an unprecedented order on the part of the terrorists in recent times,” he said.

There was no immediate comment from the Tamil Tigers, who have been fighting for a separate state in the north and east since 1983.

The offensive is close to the A9 highway, part of which the army captured in its Dec. 5 offensive. The highway connects Jaffna city with the peninsula’s second-largest town, Chavakachcheri.