NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

LTTE bid to advance on Jaffna repelled, claims Lanka

Sri Lanka today accused the advancing Tamil rebels of firing at densely populated civilian locations in besieged Jaffna town and said army authorities had requested the International Committee of the Red Cross to advise them against shelling such localities.

A government statement said that despite heavy firing, troops continued to hold forward defensive positions at Colombuthurai in the Ariyali sector and repulsed all attempts by the rebels to advance.

Rebel transmissions admitted they had suffered heavy losses and were calling for reinforcements, official spokesman Ariya Rubasinghe said.

The Sri Lankan Air Force also raided identified terrorist targets in Ariyali, Tanankilappu and Pooneryn sectors.

He said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam continued to pound military targets at nearby Colombuthurai with mortars and artillery for the second day today.

While the rebels, Red Cross and other organisations said many people had started moving out of the town fearing the worst, the government claimed life was normal in Jaffna.

Security forces are taking all possible measures to protect the civilians, the spokesman said.

UNI

RELATED REPORT:
Centre ignores Thackeray, Vaiko, extends ban on LTTE for 2 years

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report