COLOMBO: More than 150 LTTE militants and seven soldiers were killed in a gun battle in north eastern Lanka on Monday, military officials said here Wednesday.
The officials said the government forces, in a major offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam positions in Mankulam in northern Vavuniya, killed at least 91 militants including five team leaders.
Seven soldiers were killed in the gun battle that followed the offensive around the Mankulam army camp which was under siege by the militants since the middle of last month.
Fourteen soldiers were injured in the confrontation that lasted several hours, the officials said.
In another setback for the militants, SRI Lankan helicopter gunships destroyed several LTTE boats carrying over 50 militants across Batticaloa lagoon east of Mandur Tuesday.
In another incident, government forces said they had destroyed three LTTE positions in eastern Amparai killing eight militants.
Two passengers of a government transport bus were killed
The officials said the militant: continued their mortar, and machine gun attacks of military establishments including the besieged Jaffna Fort.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 27, 1990
