SL forces lost 613 men in hostilities

The forces believe that the LTTE's casualties were higher - thrice as many dead, reports PK Balachandran.

The Sri Lankan Armed Forces had performed creditably in the last round of fighting, preventing the LTTE from entering Jaffna and from crippling the Trincomalee harbour. It had also recaptured Mavil Aaru, Mutur and Sampur. But the victories had come at a high cost.

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The Army and the Navy had together lost 613 officers and other ranks and 2956 were wounded in the fighting and other violent incidents in the last two and a half months, the The Sunday Times said.

Giving a detailed breakdown, incident-wise and operation by operation, the paper's Defence Correspondent Iqbal Athas says that in a 72-day period, (July 31 to October 12) the forces had lost eight men per day. 41 personnel were wounded per day.

The Army lost six battle tanks, each costing $100,000. The LTTE is said to have recovered one and made it useable. There is a possibility that it might have made three others serviceable.

The forces believe that the LTTE's casualties were higher - thrice as many dead, and twice as many injured. But no independent verification is possible.