COLOMBO, Dec, 14, Reuter: An Indian soldier was killed as Indian forces tightened grip over Tamil guerrillas in Sri Lanka’s eastern district of Batticaloa at the weekend, security sources said on Monday.
They said the soldier was killed and several were wounded when Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam guerrillas set off a landmine as Indian troops patrolled Tirukkovil village.
Indian troops intensified patrols in Batticaloa after reports that Tiger leaders had moved there, the sources said.
Hundreds of Tigers fled to eastern districts when Indian troops swept across their northern stronghold of Jaffna in an offensive in October aimed at enforcing an Indo-Sri Lankan pact to end ethnic violence on the island.
The Indian force of between 30,000 and 35,000 is trying to disarm the Tigers. sources said the Tigers and rival Tamil groups clashed intermittently in the Western areas ‘of Mannar and Vavuniya at the weekend.
The sources said they were unable to confirm newspaper reports that the Tigers killed 10 members of a rival group, the People’s Liberation of Tamil Eelam, in a gunfight at Murunkan in Manna district on Sunday.
Foreign Minister Shahul Hameed flew to Trincomalee and Batticaloa on Sunday and held discussions with Indian and Sri Lankan military and civil officials on the resettlement of thousands of people displaced by the ethnic strife, officials said.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 18, 1987
