Long-range battles rage in Sri Lanka

Elephant Pass garrison is located at a narrow causeway linking the Jaffna peninsula with the rest of the country. The LTTE has said they want to dislodge the Army from Jaffna. Security forces in December 1995 captured Jaffna where the LTTE ran a de facto separate state for nearly five years.

The upsurge in fighting comes after the December 18 assassination attempt on President Chandrika Kumaratunga. The authorities have blamed the LTTE for the suicide bomb attack that wounded the President. Tiger guerrillas are leading a drawn out campaign for independence in the island8217;s northern and eastern regions. More than 55,000 people have been killed in the past 27 years.