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Journalism of Courage
COLOMBO, JUNE 2: Sri Lankan government on Friday said 15 LTTE rebels and three soldiers had been killed in heavy exchange of mortar shelling between the army and the guerrillas in Chavakachcheri area, south of Jaffna town and claimed that the Tamil Tigers had withdrawn most its cadre and mortars from Vavunathivu area.
An official press release here said the rebels fired mortars at security forces’ defences which were effectively repulsed by troops with newly-acquired 120 mm mortars. Fifteen LTTE guerrillas and three soldiers were killed near Cavakachcheri since Thursday, it said.
In another development, about 10,000 civilians returned home after a few days of their forced exit by the LTTE from their homes around an army garrison at Vavunathivu for a purported attack on the army camp.
The civilians returned after the failure of the rebels to capture the garrison, the release said.
Despite heavy rebel attacks, troops stood their ground, it said. This made the civilians restless and they pressurised the LTTE to stop the attacks. Following this the LTTE is reported to have withdrawn most of its cadre and mortars from the area, the official release said.
