COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops backed by artillery and fighter jets are resisting a Tamil Tiger rebel advance on the Jaffna peninsula amid moves to lift a nine-day siege of the embattled region, military officials said on Sunday.Overnight attacks by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on troops at Muhamali on the southern edge of the Jaffna district led to casualties on both sides, a military official said. He said at least 10 soldiers had been killed and about 125 wounded in sporadic clashes along front lines in the past two days. The rebel offensive began nine days ago and is believed aimed at capturing Jaffna.
Tigers ran the peninsula as a de facto separate state for five years till they were driven out in 1995. They tried to recapture it in 2000 but were stopped after advancing one third of the way to Jaffna town, the cultural centre of the Tamils. “The objective of the latest LTTE offensive is to recapture Jaffna,” defence ministry spokesman Upali Rajapakse said. “We have successfully resisted their advance.”
The fighting has cut the only land access to the peninsula and also prevented aircraft flying to Palaly airbase at the northern edge of the peninsula after the runway was hit by Tiger shells last week. Supplies by ship were also hampered as the Tigers hit the northeast port of Trincomalee where Jaffna-bound cargoes originate.