Lankan war jets pound LTTE mortar positions in Jaffna

Colombo, Feb 16 (UNI) In a stepped up campaign against the Tamil Tiger rebels during the past few months, Sri Lanka today claimed that its Air Force fighter jets have carried out aerial attacks on ''LTTE mortar positions'' in the rebel-held Palai areas in the Northern Jaffna peninsula this morning, causing heavy damage to the rebels.

''Air Force conducted air strikes with Kfir jets on LTTE mortar positions at Soranpattu and Palai today around 9.50 a.m. The Air Force confirms that the LTTE mortar positions were completely destroyed,'' the Defence Ministry said in a report.

According to the Defence Ministry report, the air strikes were a ''sequel to the constant mortar attacks by the LTTE'' on the Forward Defence Line of the Army in and around Muhamalai areas.

The Air Force also carried out an aerial attack on ''Sea Tiger bases'' at Chemalai, north of Alambil in the rebel-heartland of Mullaitivu district yesterday.

However, the Tamil Tiger rebels in a statement charged that the Sri Lankan military ''is conducting land and aerial attacks on civilian settlements along the northern borders'' since this morning.

''From 9.45 am till 10.15 am, two Sri Lankan Air Force Kfirs, and two MiGs (jets) carried out aerial attacks on Kilali, Nagarkovil and Palai settlements along the Forward Defense Lines (FDL),'' the LTTE statement said, adding that the same areas came under the artillery and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher attacks subsequently.

According to the LTTE statement, the people in these settlements had already moved to Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu late last year.

The government forces and the LTTE cadres have fought pitched battles in these areas in August last year that left hundreds of combatants killed and several more wounded. Since then there was no much fighting there other than the intermittent shelling by both sides with only land access route to the Northern Jaffana peninsula remaining closed at the Muhamalai entry/exit point.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Navy claimed that it had destroyed two suspected LTTE boats off Chilavaththurai in Mannar seas allegedly carrying several sacks of steel balls for the LTTE.

According to top naval sources, the navy divers have searched the seabed in these areas and have retrieved not less than 28 sacks containing over one million steel balls.

''The naval divers are still carrying their search operation and according to the initial reports, these steel balls were made in India,'' the naval official said.

There was no immediate reaction from the LTTE in this regard so far.

UNI