HEAVY FIGHTING TO CAPTURE FOUR ARMY DETACHMENTS IN TRINCOMALEE BUT FAILING TIGERS LOSE 50 MEN AND 80 OTHERS INJURED; 9 MILITARY MEN 3 CIVILIANS ALSO DIE
(By Walter Jayawardhana)
Los Angeles:-At least 50 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam terrorists were killed and 80 others wounded when the terrorist group attacked Kattaparichchan, Selvanagar, Mahindapura, and Muttur army detachments simultaneously, the Sri Lanka Army said.
All four army detachments in Trincomalee were attacked in the morning hours of August 2. The fighting continued until the middle of the night. As heavy weapons like artillery shells and mortars were used the atmosphere was full of frightening exploding sounds constantly. Refugees took shelter in mosques and churches. In Muttur mosques alone there were 2661 refugees. Since the LTTE bombed the Muttur hospital some injured were prevented from going there. The Provincial Secretary has ordered free meals for the people for three days.
Independent reports said the strongly motivated army troops fought vigorously, despite LTTE reports, citing civilian sources, said that Muttur detachment was overrun.
Similar reports were also published about the other three army camps. Further reports said they have occupied one kilometer inside Muttur town. The army also reiterated that Thoppur and Gandhinagar were still under their control.
Cabinet defense spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said after fighting the invading LTTErs efficiently still there were pockets of LTTE in Muttur. Since they were taking cover of civilians in houses a school, those small pockets had to to be fired on cautiously without hurting the cover he said. He said at Mavilaru, the army troops were about 300 meters away from the closed sluice gates. They were still consolidating their positions
The Wattam naval station was manned by a handful of sailors The Muttur Police Post was also under staffed . The LTTE was able to take over those places as those units were outmanned. Those were the strategic points used by the LTTE to enter Muttur, eyewitnesses said. .Until nightfall a heavy presence of LTTE was seen on the Batticaloa road in Muttur.
The Sri Lanka Army said they were in full occupation of all places. But the army said due to heavy artillery shelling in Muttur and Kattapricchan 2 soldiers were killed and 24 others were injured. Three civilians were also killed and 30 others were injured they said.
A combined force of army,navy, police and home guards were being used and army sources said 9 military lives were lost altogether and thirty others were injured.
Meanwhile the Sri Lanka Air Force bombed the LTTE’s heavy armor inside their camps.
By targeting the naval detachment in the jetty of Muttur by shells and mortars Tigers killed three sailors and wounded six others. But the Navy repulsed successfully and were able to keep the jetty in their hands.
Police posts in the Central Bus Depot, Telecommunication Center and Town Center were initially abandoned but the army said now the entire key area in Muttur is under control of military and police after additional reinforcements were rushed in . They were still engaged in flushing out operations of terrorists in certain scattered places in Muttur.
Trincomalee Sri Lanka Navy base fired multi barrel artillery shells against LTTE camps in East Muttur other sources said.
Sea and land transport to Muttur town has been severed following the heavy fighting, and those who were injured could not be dispatched to the Trincomalee hospital..
The civilian ferry service between Trincomalee and Muttur town was suspended during heavy fighting once again preventing any kind of evacuation to the Trincomalee hospital. The invading Tigers attempted to capture Muttur jetty because it is the key to the entry of Trincomalee harbor.
