COLOMBO (PTI) Sri Lankan troops continuing their advance in Vettilaikemi area in the LTTE stronghold of Jaffna in Northern Lanka killed at least 60 Tamil militants and lost nine soldiers in the battle, the military here said

Troops broke out from present forward defence lines and advanced approximately 800 meters west of Mulliyan, a small village, and were in the process of consolidating their positions in the area Captured, a spokesman of the joint operations command (JOC) said.

The state-owned news agency  Lankapuvath’ reported that over 100 militants were killed in the current offensive in the Peninsula. It said GOLTTE cadres were killed west of Mulliyan at the southern end of Jaffna Peninsula and at least 40 more were killed in air attacks on vehicles carrying Tamil Tigers.

The agency said three LTTE area leaders were among 13 militants killed in a six-hour gun battle in the jungles of Kattamurichchikulam in the eastern Batticaloa district. The area leaders killed were Kiran, Sinna Shankar and Nriadarsa, it said.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 10, 1994