Colombo: Sri Lankan troops backed by fighter jets on Thursday captured two key LTTE bastions near the Tamil Tiger headquarters of Kilinochchi in the island's north after killing 50 guerrillas and injuring 100, the army said, asserting that the rebel 'capital' will fall in two days.
The security forces took control of the rebels' Iranamadu Junction on Thursday morning, shortly after capturing the LTTE's strategic Paranthan town, according to defence sources.
LTTE fighters put up a stiff resistance from their vital Iranmadu Junction, which is considered a strategically important rebel stronghold along the A-9 Trunk road, located 6 kms south of Kilinochchi.
Sri Lankan Air Force jets and helicopter gunships provided close air support to advancing infantry battalions, having carried out a string of flight missions since the fighting broke out between troops and the LTTE in the area.
"The fall of Iranamadu in the latest in a series of defeats suffered by the LTTE on the Kilinochchi battlefront," the Defence Ministry said.
"(The) fall of Kilinochchi is imminent within the next 48 hours," Army Chief Sarath Fonseka was quoted as saying by the state-run Daily News service.
According to latest battlefield reports, troops are now making further advances eastward of the Iranamadu Junction while consolidating their positions in the area.
Earlier, the army said it killed over 50 LTTE cadres and injured more than 100 others in fierce clashes at Paranthan, about 9 kms from Kilinochchi, before capturing the key rebel bastion.
Comments
0 comment