Fresh clash between troops and LTTE in Lanka

Colombo, Aug 10: Even as the disputed Mavilaru water blockade has been removed, fierce fighting today erupted in east Sri Lanka between Sri Lankan troops and the LTTE, officials said.

''Heavy fighting is going around Mavilaru and Verugal areas.

We are deeply concerned about the developments and closely observing the situation,'' a spokesman for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), overseeing the four-year long truce between the government and the LTTE, told UNI over the phone.

Military spokesman, Major Upali Rajapakse said the LTTE had launched a series of mortar and artillery attacks on the advancing troops in the early hours today.

''Some operations are conducted by the troops in and around the Mavilaru anicut to consolidate our positions and to ensure the free flow of water. But the LTTE pound heavy artillery and mortar shells towards the troops, leaving three soldiers killed and 31 more injured,'' Major Rajapakse said, adding that the LTTE too have suffered huge losses in terms of men and material.

He said about 25 wounded soldiers had been rushed to the Kantale and Kurunagala hospitals while, a few more critically wounded soldiers had been airlifted to the Colombo national hospital.

Meanwhile, a pro-rebel website reported that over 45 Tamil civilians had been killed and several more wounded due to military shelling and aerial attack.

''More than 45 civilians were killed and several others were injured in Sri Lankan forces aerial bombardment and artillery attacks in Kathiraveli and surrounding villages as thousands of civilians were still fleeing the areas,'' the Tamilnet website claimed, adding that thousands of troops were advancing from Kallaru army camp towards Mavilaru sluice-gate.

The SLMM spokesman said that although they have received reports of heavy civilian casualties in the rebel-held areas, they were unable to visit those areas at the moment to verify the reports due to heavy fighting.

The crisis over the Mavilaru reservoir in the Trincomalee district had left over 100 combatants and civilians killed and several others wounded. The fresh fighting has also resulted in thousands of civilian families fleeing their homes.

UNI