116 LTTE rebels killed in heavy fighting in Lanka

Colombo, May 30: The Sri Lankan Army on Tuesday claimed that 116 Tamil Tigers and seven soldiers were killed in its latest offensive operations against the rebels in northern Jaffna peninsula even as two policemen were killed and 23 injured in an LTTE land mine blast near northern Vavuniya.

An Army spokesman here said that government troops since Monday had conducted offensive operations with newly acquired weapons at Ariyala, Sarasalai and Chavakachcheri in Jaffna which were partially taken control of by rebels during the past 20 days. He said monitored LTTE wireless radio transmissions so far had admitted the death of 116 rebels while the Army has recovered 14 bodies. Seven soldiers have been killed in Monday’s operations, he said adding that security forces were still conducting clearing operations.