59 Tamil Tigers, two soldiers killed in Lanka clashes

Colombo, Oct 03: At least 59 Tamil Tigers and two soldiers were killed in fierce clashes in Sri Lanka's embattled north, where the Air Force fighter jets targeted key LTTE bases, including a building once used by the outfit's political head B Nadesan as his office, officials said on Friday. The building in the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi, which was among those bombed by the Sri Lankan security forces this morning, used to be occupied by Nadesan when he was the police head of the outfit. Nadesan succeeded S P Tamilchelvan as the LTTE's political wing chief after the latter was killed in a raid by the Air Force in November last year. "The main office complex of LTTE leader Nadesan was located at 500m West of Driyarukulam and it was engaged around 9.20 am today," Air Force spokesperson, Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara, said. At the same time, he said, the fighter jets pounded an LTTE military base located one kilometre north of Triarukulam in the general area of Pravipanjan in Kilinochchi. The Air Force launched the strikes on real-time information acquired through continuous ground and air surveillances, the Defence Ministry said. In ground clashes, security forces killed three LTTE cadres in Kottukulam, north of Morawewa in Trincomalee today, the ministry said. Continuing with their march towards Kilinochchi, the troops moved further north across the east of Akkarayankulam yesterday, it said. At least four LTTE cadres and two soldiers were killed in the region during clashes yesterday, the ministry said. Security personnel operating in Pannikankulam in northwest of Mankulam in Kilinochchi gunned down eight LTTE rebels during clashes yesterday, the ministry said. In the western half of the Kilinochchi battlefront, troops confronted the rebels early this morning, officials said, adding that intercepted LTTE communication revealed that six Tamil Tigers were killed and another six injured in the incident. Separately, snipers deployed in the Vannerikulam forward area of Kilinochchi shot dead two LTTE cadres yesterday, the military said. While an LTTE cadre was killed in Andankulam in northeastern Welioya yesterday, nine others died later in the day during confrontations with security forces, it said. Security forces gunned down two Tiger rebels in Iranamadu in Mullaittivu during clashes yesterday, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said. While two LTTE cadres were killed in Mankulam, another was shot dead in Kokavil area yesterday, the MCNS said. In fierce clashes in the same region later in the day, troops killed five Tiger rebels, it added. As many as five LTTE cadres were gunned down in Paraikandanmadu yesterday, the MCNS said, adding another Tiger rebel was killed in Madam area. In Vavuniya, troops gunned down two LTTE cadres in Pannakankulam and another two in Navakkulam, the MCNS said. While two Tamil Tigers were fatally shot in Kallikulam, two others were gunned down in Panikanirayi in Vavuniya yesterday, it said. In Jaffna, troops killed two LTTE rebels in Nagarkovil area yesterday, the MCNS said.
Source:- www.zeenews.com