The Sri Lankan army (SLA) continued its surge towards LTTE strongholds capturing Muhamalai in Jaffna on Tuesday.
The army claimed 4,073 LTTE cadres were killed and many more wounded in the offensive.
“According to military sources, the combined 53 and 55 Division troops have seized control over the entire LTTE defence line, North of A-9, while fighting still continues in the remaining LTTE positions, south of the A-9 main road. Muhamalai is located close to the strategic Elephant Pass.
Terrorists have withdrawn further southeast after receiving heavy beating, the sources further said,” defence ministry said.
Meanwhile, in the first reaction after the fall of Kilinochchi, LTTE’s political head B Nadesan dismissed the “occupation of the town as an insignificant setback in the context of a liberation struggle.”
“We have taken forward our struggle for more than 30 years, solely relying on the support of our people,” Nadesan said.