Colombo, February 12
At least 64 persons were killed in fierce ground clashes and shelling of a key military base close to a Catholic church by Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka’s embattled northern region, officials here said today.
Six soldiers were killed and several injured when Tiger rebels attacked the Thallady military base in Mannar this morning, prompting security forces to retaliate, the army said, adding the nearby St Anthony’s Church was also hit in the rebel shelling.
In a separate incident, two LTTE cadres were killed by security forces in the general area of Alakallakottakulam in Vavuniya today, the defence ministry said.
It said four guerrillas were gunned down by security forces in Sripurama and Nedunkandal areas of Mannar yesterday.
In another clash, seven rebels were killed in Kokkuduthuduvai in northeastern Welioya yesterday while the troops shot dead another 13 LTTE cadres and injured 21 in Anandakulam, it said.
Ten soldiers also lost their lives during confrontations in Welioya yesterday, the ministry said.
The army, meanwhile, said eight rebels were killed in Udayankulam while five others were gunned down in the Mullikulam area of Vavuniya by security forces.
It said four more rebels were killed in a separate clash in Kallikulam
yesterday.
In another confrontation, five rebels were gunned down in a bunker attack by troops at Periyapantrivirichchan in Vavuniya yesterday, the Media Centre for National Security said.
— PTI
