LIBERATION Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Operations Command in Mannaar told TamilNet on Tuesday that 60 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed on Sunday and Monday when the Tigers confronted three major attempts by the SLA to advance into LTTE territory.
At Paalaikkuzhi a large ground push launched by the SLA was thwarted by the Tigers on Monday in which 20 SLA soldiers were killed and 63 wounded.
Simultaneously, the SLA has suffered heavy casualties on another push, at Parappaangka’ndal. Further, the LTTE claimed that its snipers have gunned down 18 SLA soldiers on Monday.
On Sunday, 22 SLA soldiers were killed in the jungle area of Karampaikku’lam in Keerisuddaan.
The LTTE has not released its own casualty figures.
The Tigers claimed to have seized guns and ammunition in one of the heaviest confrontations at Paalaikkuzhi in Mannaar on Monday.
20 SLA soldiers were killed and 63 wounded in the fighting that lasted from 4.00am until 3.00pm. The SLA withdrew leaving behind their dead bodies in the no-go zone. The SLA recovered the dead bodies later in the night.
The Tigers confronted another push by the SLA at Kaaththaangku’lam in Parappaangka’ndal from 11.00am until 3.00pm on Monday.
The SLA has suffered heavy casualties and was forced to abandon the attempt, the Tigers said. Exact casualty figures were not known.
At the same time, 18 SLA soldiers were gunned down by LTTE snipers, according to the Operations Command of the Tigers in Mannaar.
On Sunday, 22 SLA soldiers were killed in a heavy fighting in a jungle area in Karampaikku’lam in Keerisuddaan. The fighting lasted to 7.00pm from 10.30am the Tigers said.
Meanwhile, the LTTE, from its Head Quarters in Vanni on Monday, released a statement condemning the Indian ‘State welcome’ extended to Sri Lanka Army Chief Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka and the statements made by Indian military chiefs in this context.
It said: ‘The Indian State must take the responsibility for the ethnic genocide of the Tamils that will be carried out by the Sinhala military, re-invigorated by such moves of the Indian State’.
The statement continued: ‘The LTTE wishes to point out to the Indian State, that by this historic blunder, it will continue to subject the Eelam Tamils to misery and put them in the dangerous situation of having to face ethnic genocide on a massive scale.’
The view expressed by the Indian military chiefs is that ‘India wants to ensure that the Sri Lankan Army maintains its upperhand over the LTTE’.
This just illustrates the efforts of the Indian State to prop up the Sinhala war machine, the LTTE statement said.
The Indian State’s move of ‘propping up the politically-militarily-economically weakened Sri Lankan State has upset Eelam Tamils.
‘We did not leave the ceasefire agreement and we did not start the war. We are only undertaking a defensive war against the war of ethnic genocide of the Sri Lankan State.
‘We still have not abandoned the Norway sponsored peace efforts and we are ready to take part in such efforts.’
The full text of the LTTE statement follows:
‘Head Quarters
‘Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
‘Tamil Eelam
‘10 March 2008
‘Is the Indian State attempting yet another historic blunder?
‘The State welcome given by the Indian State to the Sri Lanka military chief Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, who is heading the Sri Lankan State’s war of ethnic genocide against the Eelam Tamils, has deeply hurt them.
‘The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) strongly condemns the Indian State action of extending a State welcome to the military chief of the Sinhala State which has unilaterally abrogated the ceasefire agreement and has launched widespread military offensives in the Tamil homeland.
‘The Sri Lankan State is facing many warnings and condemnations for its attempt to seek a military solution and for its enormous human rights violations.
‘Despite this, the Sinhala State ignores these warnings and condemnations and continues with its abductions, killings, and arrests of Tamils.
‘The Sinhala State, keen to cover up this truth, is blaming the freedom movement of the Tamils, the LTTE, for the continuation of the war and is seeking assistance from the world for its war of ethnic genocide.
‘Many of the European countries, understanding this hidden motive of the Sinhala State, have halted all assistance that could support the ethnic genocide of the Tamils.
‘The Indian State also knows this truth. Yet, while pronouncing that a solution to the Tamil problem must be found through peaceful means, it is giving encouragement to the military approach of the Sinhala State.
‘This can only lead to the intensification of the genocide of the Tamils.
‘The LTTE wishes to point out to the Indian State that by this historic blunder it will continue to subject the Eelam Tamils to misery and put them in the dangerous situation of having to face ethnic genocide on a massive scale.
‘On behalf of the Eelam Tamils, the LTTE kindly requests the Tamils of Tamil Nadu to understand this anti-Tamil move of the Indian State and express their condemnation.
‘We did not leave the ceasefire agreement and we did not start the war. We are only undertaking a defensive war against the war of ethnic genocide of the Sri Lankan State.
‘We still have not abandoned the Norway sponsored peace efforts and we are ready to take part in such efforts.
‘In this context, the Indian State’s move of propping up the politically-militarily-economically weakened Sri Lankan State has upset Eelam Tamils.
‘The view expressed by the Indian military chiefs, “India wants to ensure that the Sri Lankan Army maintains its upperhand over the LTTE”, just illustrates the efforts of the Indian State to prop up the Sinhala war machine.
‘The Indian State must take the responsibility for the ethnic genocide of the Tamils that will be carried out by the Sinhala military re-invigorated by such moves of the Indian State.’