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24 soldiers killed in Sri Lanka

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: At least 24 personnel of the Sri Lanka Army and Navy were killed late on Monday night and Tuesday in presumed LTTE reprisal attacks involving the blast of an army bus and the main naval base in Trincomalee. The offensive is seen as a response to the military operation to end the blockade of a waterway imposed by the Tigers in the east. Taking the battle right into the government territory, the LTTE attacked the base in Trincomalee. Confusion prevailed in the naval town amid continuing gun battle.

A Navy statement said the LTTE's target was a passenger vessel entering the harbour, carrying 854 unarmed soldiers on their way back to the base after home leave. The naval troops successfully repulsed the attack and navigated the vessel to safety. The LTTE followed it with indiscriminate shelling towards the base, which resulted in the death of eight sailors and injuries to several.

Boats destroyed

The Army said three LTTE boats were destroyed and three were badly damaged in its counter attack.

The TamilNet claimed that the targeted vessel had been taken to international waters. It said more than 36 shells hit the naval base and five sea-borne LTTE vessels destroyed a Dvora boat killing eight troops.

On Monday night, 16 soldiers were killed and several injured in a blast that hit the bus they were in at Serunuwara between Kantalai-Allai in Trincomalee district. The soldiers were on their way to the site where the Army has been engaged in pitched battles for the last two days with the LTTE to end the blockade of the waterway.

There was no clarity on the operation launched by the military to end the water blockade. Army spokesman S.A.P.P. Samarasinghe told The Hindu that the troops were very close to the spot and now engaged in "consolidation" of their positions. On Saturday, the military had said the troops were within 10 minute walk from the location. However, they were proceeding with extreme caution as the area has been heavily mined.

The LTTE claimed that it counter-attacked and stopped the Army from advancing into LTTE areas of the region.

Sweden too pulls out

Two days after Finland and Denmark announced that they are pulling out of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) before the LTTE September 1 deadline for the European Union (E.U.) monitors in the mission, Sweden has decided to join their ranks.

"We have received a communication from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden that they have decided to withdraw their monitors from SLMM for security reasons before September 1", Robert Nilsson, Acting Spokesperson of the SLMM told The Hindu .

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