LTTE kills 25 armymen, shoots down helicopter

LTTE kills 25 armymen, shoots down helicopter
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

COLOMBO, DEC 17: Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels have attacked an army defence line in northern Sri Lanka, killing at least 17 soldiers and wounding many more, official sources here said on Friday.

The LTTE has also shot down an air force helicopter gunship flying over a northern lagoon today, military officials said.

Four airmen on board the Russia-made ML 24 helicopter were also killed in the attack.The separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam dislodged troops from a bunker line at the Paranthan military complex on Thursday, the sources said adding that long range attacks continued on Friday. There were no immediate reports of rebel casualties, but military sources said that the guerrillas also suffered heavy losses in the Army counter offensive.

The fighting came as the LTTE said in a statement from their London office that they were keeping up an offensive aimed at "liberating" their former heartland of Jaffna located further North of Paranthan. The Tiger statement came as the Army said that ithad repulsed several rebel attempts to dislodge troops from three locations that form the outer defences of the Elephant Pass military base at the entrance to Jaffna.

Army Major General Lionel Balagalle said the attack had backfired on the LTTE which had made spectacular gains elsewhere in the North last month by overrunning 10 military bases in just five days of fighting. However, Balagalle said the Tigers could still try to launch a fresh attempt on the Elephant Pass base.

The Tamil Tigers who managed to enter Jaffna peninsula at Thennankilappu few miles away from Jaffna town two days ago continued to resist army's attempt to push them back.Four more soldiers were killed yesterday in repulsing the LTTE attack in that area.