Six Lankan soldiers killed in fierce Tiger resistance in Thoppigal

Colombo, July 6 (UNI) At least six Sri Lankan soldiers, including an officer were killed and seven other wounded when fierce fighting broke out between the government troops and the Tamil Tiger rebels in the thick jungles of Thoppigala in the Eastern Batticaloa district, military said today.

Six soldiers, including an officer, died and seven suffered injuries when the LTTEers launched an attack using long range firing weapons. The terrorists fired heavy mortars from a location West of Baron's Cap at the troops deployed in the north of Narakamula, Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said.

The security forces retaliated to the attack by using heavy weapons and air power and brought the situation under control, he said.

It is amidst these fresh clashes that the supersonic fighter jets of the Sri Lankan Air Force have carried out three air raids targeting the suspected LTTE positions at Thoppigala and an LTTE camp at Plampiddi in the Mannar district this morning.

The air raids were conducted at 0615hrs at Mannar and 0620hrs (local time)at Thoppigala respectively. The pilots have confirmed that the targets had been achieved successfully, the Defence Ministry said in a report.

Claiming that the troops backed by long range artillery attack have commenced the final push the LTTE from the last bastions in the thick Thoppigala jungles in the Eastern Batticaloa district, the Defence Ministry report said that the air raids were being conducted to assist the advancing troops.

However,there was no immediate reaction from the LTTE in this regard.

UNI