LTTE conscripting school children — Govt

Referring to Jaffna peninsula, where its troops lost considerable ground to the rebels in the past three weeks, it said security forces spotted rebels moving into the Jaffna lagoon and fired at them, the release said.

Small groups of troops continue to carry out fighting patrols ahead of the forward defence lines but no incidents have been reported since yesterday, it said.

The army had earlier said its forces operated south of Kilali, a small town located on the banks of the Jaffna lagoon. So far the troops appeared to have stabilised their losses after loosing about 15 km of territory to the rebels in the recent fighting. The LTTE reportedly finding hard to regroup its cadre due to sustained aerial bombing by the Sri Lankan fighter planes.

Meanwhile, in northern Vavuniya a police constable was killed and another wounded in a Claymore mine explosion.

Two LTTE rebels were killed in another incident by army snipers at Omanthai, about 12 km North of Vavuniay, the release said.

In eastern Batticaloa district, LTTE rebels prevented Muslim fishermen from fishing at Vharai area. The rebels have also assaulted a number of civilians, the release added.