Scores of combatants killed during weekend clashes: Lanka

Colombo, Mar 4 (UNI) Sri Lankan military has claimed that at least 75 combatants, including 69 Tamil Tiger rebels, were killed and several others wounded when the advancing government troops were fiercely confronted by the rebels during weekend clashes in the North.

''As many as 69 Tamil Tiger rebels were killed and 28 were injured during the clashes erupted last weekend. Another 31 terrorists were either killed or wounded,'' the Defence Ministry claimed in a report late last night.

Nine army personnel were also killed while 37 others wounded during fierce clashes in the Jaffna and Wanni battlefronts, it said.

According to the report, 12 LTTE cadres and two soldiers were killed in sporadic clashes in Muhamalai, Nagarkovil and Kilaly areas while 39 LTTEers and three government soldiers were killed in the general areas Navatkulam, Periyapantrichurichchan, Koilmoddai, Mullikulam, Villattikulam and Varikutturuwa in the Wanni.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Air Force claimed that its supersonic fighter jets have pounded on LTTE communication base located in general area Kulamurippu, six km north east of Oddusudan yesterday afternoon.

''The pilots confirmed that the target was accurately hit inflecting maximum damage to the terror base,'' the Air Force said.

There was no immediate reaction from the LTTE regarding these fresh claims by the military.

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