Sunday was another day of heavy casualties for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Sri Lankan military has claimed. At least 53 LTTE cadres were killed in exchange of heavy gun and artillery fire across battle fronts in northern Sri Lanka, the military said.
At least eight Sri Lankan army (SLA) soldiers were also killed.
At Kilinochchi, at least 38 LTTE cadres were killed and 18 were injured, the army said, quoting from intercepted radio communication channels of the Tamil Tigers. Clashes were reported throughout the day.
The military recovered bodies of seven LTTE cadres along with military equipment like light machine guns and assault rifles.
Another 11 Tigers were killed in fighting that took place in the Vavuniya district. The killed LTTE cadres included a leader named ‘Muttu’.
Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara speaking to defence.lk said several air raids were also launched in the last 24 hours.
The first of the air raids was launched by fighter jets on Sunday morning targeting a LTTE gathering detected in Nachchikuda. The attack was launched in support of Task Force 1 soldiers operating on the western half of the Kilinochchi front, he added.
The United Nations (UN) said on Sunday that its offices in the north had been looted after aid workers were evacuated last week. A UN statement said it suspected that the LTTE were involved in the theft from buildings it had left. The UN did not disclose what was stolen, but local media reported that the suspected Tigers took large stocks of fuel and electricity generators.
{{/usCountry}}The United Nations (UN) said on Sunday that its offices in the north had been looted after aid workers were evacuated last week. A UN statement said it suspected that the LTTE were involved in the theft from buildings it had left. The UN did not disclose what was stolen, but local media reported that the suspected Tigers took large stocks of fuel and electricity generators.
{{/usCountry}}“The UN has drawn this to the attention of the LTTE and says that humanitarian assets and staff ought to be protected at all times in accordance with international humanitarian law,’’ the statement added.