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Battle rages in Sri Lanka

B. Muralidhar Reddy

Civilians likely among victims

COLOMBO: Dozens of people, including civilians, are feared killed in heavy fighting between the military and the Tamil Tigers on Thursday in and around the areas of the waterway site, whose blocking by the LTTE triggered the current conflagration, in the east.

There is absolutely no way of independent confirmation of the conflicting claims made by the warring parties as the battle zones are cut off from the rest of the world. The military conceded that fierce fighting erupted in and around the site of the waterway in the morning after the LTTE launched a series of mortar and artillery attacks on troops who were consolidating and expanding their territory.

According to unconfirmed reports, at least three Army personnel were feared killed and 30 soldiers were injured in the confrontations. The military said troops after opening the sluice gates were providing security to the waterway and its environs when terrorists launched pre-dawn attacks.

However, TamilNet claimed that the Army advancing into the LTTE-controlled areas had lost 41 soldiers.

The Web site also claimed that at least 50 civilians, fleeing the battle scene, died in the aerial bombardment and artillery fire by the Sri Lankan forces.

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