Colombo: At least 80 Tamil Tigers were killed in fierce fighting with Sri Lankan troops in the island's embattled north, the military said on Saturday, as clashes intensified after the government last week decided to pull out of a six-year-old ceasefire with the terrorists.
According to the army one soldier, too, was killed and 27 others sustained injuries in the fighting, which came even as a Japanese peace envoy's headed for the island to discuss the situation after the scrapping of the 2002 truce.
The military said at least 80 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorists were killed in a series of gun battles with the security forces in the restive northern parts of the country, with most of the casualties occurring in clashes in Vavuniya and Mannar fronts.
In Muhamalai in Jaffna peninsula, troops on day ran into LTTE bunker defences, killing three rebels, the Defence Ministry said. While one soldier suffered injuries in a clash at Nagarkovil defences in Jaffna, on the Kilaly front, three soldiers were injured when the militants opened fire at the security forces' defence on Friday morning.
On the Vavuniya front, troops clashed with LTTE at several locations north of Vilathikulama area, killing 16 Tigers and injuring 10 others, the Ministry said.
In the general area south of Madhu in Vavuniya, army infantrymen ambushed militants' reinforcement on afternoon, the army said adding, ground sources have confirmed that 10 rebels lost their lives.
In separate clashes, five rebels were killed in Periyapandisurichchan in northern Wanni, six in Palamodai, six in Periyankulam, eight in Karapaikkulam and 13 in Uilankulama in Mannar, the army said.
The Tiger radio, however, said only four rebels were killed in the Palamodai clash while one Sri Lankan soldier also died.
The rebels also engaged in mortar fire at the advancing troops in Wanni region, causing injuries to 22 soldiers, the army said. During the subsequent search, troops have found the body of a woman LTTE cadre and one T-56 riffle.
Meanwhile, one soldier was killed and another suffered injuries when they got caught in an anti-personnel mine explosion in Vavuniya on Friday afternoon.
At Pallikuli in the region, army snipers deployed on the forward defence line said that two rebels were gunned down on Friday morning, the Defence Ministry said.
"Terrorists have suffered a heavy beating as security forces continue their thrust into the LTTE-dominated Wanni region (rebel-held areas)," it said.
There is no immediate confirmation on the number of casualties from the rebels.
Japanese peace envoy Yasushi Akashi will arrive here on Sunday for talks with President Mahinda Rajapakse and other officials on "the current situation of the peace process and its future," Japan's Embassy said.
The envoy's trip follows an escalation by security forces in attacks along LTTE-held areas. Some 258 rebels have been killed so far this month, according to the military.
The LTTE has been fighting since 1983 for a separate homeland for ethnic minority Tamils in Sri Lanka. Some 70,000 people have lost their lives in the conflict.
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