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Lankan troops destroy LTTE communication centre

P Mohan Das in Colombo

Sri Lankan troops today destroyed the Pooneryn signal centre, used by the Liberation Tigers for Tamil Eelam for communication with their cadres across the Jaffna lagoon, amid claims by the rebels that they are getting closer to Jaffna city.

The government radio said this evening that the rebels were in distress with the breakdown of their major communication centre. Pooneryn is located southwest of Jaffna across the lagoon.

On the latest situation, a government spokesman said troops had to "readjust" their defence towards Colombuthurai in the Ariyali sector in the wake of a heavy barrage of artillery and mortar fire. But later they launched a counter-attack, causing heavy casualties among the terrorists.

During the five hours of battle yesterday afternoon, two officers and seven soldiers were killed and 86 army personnel were injured, the spokesman said.

In the latest round of fighting, at least 165 rebels were killed and several injured.

Meanwhile, President Chandrika Kumaratunga has assured the security forces that they will get sophisticated weapons in the coming weeks to bolster their fight against the LTTE. She said these weapons would enhance the firepower of the forces and place them in a better position.

A newspaper report in Tel Aviv said Israel and Colombo have signed an agreement by which the former will supply more Kfir fighter planes to Lanka, besides shiploads of weaponry.

Pledging the government's fullest co-operation and support to the security forces to defeat the Tamil Tigers in Jaffna in particular and the country in general, the president said she was proud of the valour of the security forces.

In a letter to the chiefs of all police organisations and security forces, she said the government would extend any amount of material support to defeat the LTTE.

In another significant development, a delegation of the Tamil United Liberation Front headed by senior vice-president V Anandasanagari today met Indian High Commissioner Shivshanker Menon and sought humanitarian assistance for the 500,000 civilians trapped in Jaffna.

Anandasanagari explained to Menon the difficulties being faced by the people in the northern peninsula. He said India could help ensure the safety of the civilian population, uninterrupted supply of food and medicines, and prevention of military excesses.

Meanwhile, the government, in a bid to raise Rs 12 billion for the war, has decided to increase the borrowing limit by Rs 20 million. The defence levy has already been raised by 1 per cent to bring in Rs 2.5 billion more as revenue. The prices of cigarettes and liquor were also increased recently.

UNI

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