COLOMBO: At least 100 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants and six soldiers including an officer were killed in a major gun battle in eastern Trincomalee on Monday.
Military officials here said govt troops were advancing towards the besieged Elephant Pass camp in northern Jaffna as part of its massive offensive following Sunday night’s amphibious landing close to the camp.
In the weeklong battle over the control over the strategically located elephant pass camp since the militants launched a determined attack on Wednesday the LTTE is estimated to have lost 140 of their cadres including women and some of the senior members besides scores of others wounded military officials said.
The troops have so far lost 26 including a colonel of the besieged camp nine of them in Monday’s battle while about 50 others were wounded. Military official admitted that the advance of the forces from the beach to their landing point to the camp at a distance of about ten kms was slow as they were facing heavy resistance from the militants from entrenched positions.
Troops also recovered three tractors loaded with rocket propelled grenades in the area.
In Monday’s battle troops claimed to have destroyed a number of militants vehicles mounted with heavy guns and radio equipment’s.
Quoting radio intercepts military officials said the LTTE has asked its cadres to move all heavy weapons from the area following induction of two brigades at the beach-head amphibious landing.
Troops also recovered 12 bodies of militants along with their weapons from the beach-head area of the militants killed in the week-long battle six senior members have been identified as Balaraj Jayam Lawan Kutty Rajan and Deva.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 26, 1991
