Sri Lankan troops launch counter-attack in the north
May 20th, 2008 - 1:06 pm ICT by adminDPA
Colombo, May 20 (DPA) Government troops launched a counter-attack on Tamil rebels in northern Sri Lanka, killing at least 12 rebels and losing three soldiers, military officials said Tuesday. The fighting was reported around the Palampiddi area, 330 km north of the capital, Monday. The military said the counter-attack came after an assault by the rebels on a newly established army defence line in the area.
On Sunday, at least 15 soldiers and more than 50 rebels were killed as troops advanced to capture the Palampiddi area.
But the pro-rebel Tamilnet website said the rebels thwarted a ground attack by the army, killing 26 soldiers. The rebels said that after the battle they found the bodies of six government soldiers.
The site said the army had used multi-barrel rocket launchers and mortar fire in the fighting that lasted for six hours.
The rebels claimed they captured some of the military hardware of the soldiers, including two rocket-propelled grenades, six T-56 assault rifles, eight RPG shells and propellers and about 7,000 rounds of ammunition.
There was no independent verification of the casualty figures given by both sides. Journalists are not allowed into the rebel-held areas in the north.
Government troops have been trying to recapture the Tamil rebel-held areas in the north, triggering heavy fighting during the past four months. More than 4,000 rebels, soldiers and civilians have been killed in the fighting.
DPA
- 120 Tigers, 25 soldiers die in Sri Lanka - Dec 16, 2008
- Vengeful Gaddafi troops renew assault on rebel-held Misrata - Apr 03, 2011
- 40 militants killed in Pakistan - Apr 13, 2010
- Sri Lanka army launches airstrikes: Tamil rebels (Lead) - Apr 28, 2009
- Over 50 killed in Pakistan fighting (Lead) - Oct 27, 2009
- 500 army men in Chhattisgarh's red zone - for training - Jun 02, 2011
- Tamil rebels say they are silencing their guns (Third Lead) - May 17, 2009
- 12 soldiers killed, 16 missing as pitched battles rage: Sri Lanka - Dec 21, 2008
- One killed in rocket attack on Pakistani check post - Dec 14, 2011
- LTTE faces annihilation, leadership hiding, says Sri Lanka - Apr 05, 2009
- Scores killed as fighting rages in Sri Lanka - Sep 03, 2008
- Clashes leave five soldiers, 21 militants dead in Pakistan - Oct 26, 2009
- Troops kill 12 militants in northwest Pakistan - Jun 28, 2010
- Six soldiers, 25 militants killed in Pakistan clashes (Lead) - Mar 31, 2010
- Turkey launches military operations in northern Iraq - Oct 21, 2011
Tags: army defence, assault rifles, defence line, government soldiers, government troops, independent verification, launch, military hardware, military officials, mortar fire, multi barrel rocket launchers, north government, northern sri lanka, propellers, rocket propelled grenades, soldiers and civilians, sri lankan troops, tamil rebel, tamil rebels, three soldiers
