LTTE rebels destroy 2 naval gun-boats; 21 personnel missing
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

COLOMBO, APRIL 8: LTTE rebels have destroyed two Sri Lankan naval attack gun-boats following which 21 personnel were missing, while seven guerrillas and two soldiers were killed in encounters in Jaffna.

Two fast-attack Israeli-made gun-boats, each having 16 crew members on board, sank after receiving direct hits from LTTE artillery off Jaffna's Vadamarachi coast on Friday night, Navy sources said here on Saturday.

The battle took place near the Elephant Pass causeway which links the mainland with Jaffna peninsula. The boats came under attack when these were approaching the coast to bomb some LTTE positions, they said.

Eleven sailors have been rescued and 21 were declared missing, they said, adding search operations were on to locate the missing sailors. A defence release said majority of the crew members of both the boats have been rescued.

An LTTE press release from London said gun-battle between LTTE and other naval gun-boats went on for hours after the sinking of the two naval gun-boats.

The naval craft have been attacking Jaffna's eastern coast ever since the LTTE captured the beach heads in Vadamarachi area. These are used for launching attacks on army detachments, especially the army's biggest garrison at Elephant Pass.

The defence press release said LTTE guerrillas and troops engaged in heavy fighting at various places in Jaffna on Friday, leaving seven rebels and two soldiers dead.

The fresh round of fighting for control of Jaffna began on March 26 when LTTE rebels launched a massive land and sea counter attack to regain control of the northern peninsula they lost to the army in 1995.

Earlier, on Friday morning, over sixty people, including an Assistant Superintendent of Police and 14 other personnel, were killed reportedly in different encounters between Sri Lankan security forces and LTTE rebels in the North and East.

The LTTE, hitting back at the troops in a big way, ambushed a large police party in North Central Polonnaruwa district on Friday morning as the fight entered the 13th day.

State Radio here said that an ASP, three sub-inspectors, 11 police constables and five villagers were killed when they were ambushed at Gravelkanda in Aralaganvila by the LTTE, which was fully resisting all attempts by the army to push rebels out of the Northern Jaffna peninsula.

39 LTTE rebels and a child were killed as the Sri Lankan army continued to advance into the small stretches of areas captured by the guerrillas in Northern Jaffna.

A defence release said here on Friday that the troops continued to advance into the Muhamalai area in Jaffna amid heavy resistance from the LTTE. Troops continued to engage the rebel positions with heavy artillery in which 14 rebels were killed and 50 to 60 others were wounded.

Seven soldiers of the army sustained injuries in Thursday's battle, the defence ministry said adding that three rebels were killed and three others were wounded when troops fired artillery on the rebel positions at Arialai in the peninsula. 21 more rebels were killed in army attacks on LTTE positions at Nagar Kovil, Kattiratan and Kovilvayal areas on Thursday, it said.

Latest reports said that the fighting continued in several places in the peninsula where the army was attempting to push back over 1500 heavily armed LTTE guerrillas who managed to get a strong foothold at the beach heads on the eastern side of the peninsula and cut off a vital supply route to the army's biggest garrison located in a narrow causeway at Elephant Pass.

The fighting broke out on March 26 when the LTTE launched a massive counter attack to regain control of the peninsula.

Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.