Sri Lanka on Monday claimed that at least 40 Tamil Tiger rebels and six army personnel were killed and over 50 combatants on both sides were wounded when the advancing government troops were confronted by the LTTE rebels in the Northern Wanni and Jaffna forward defences on Sunday.

According to Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence, fierce clashes had erupted along Mannar and Wanni battlefronts “as the army launched several successful attacks at fortified terror positions”. “Over 40 terrorists were killed and 38 injured during the confrontations that took place in both Wanni and Jaffna defences. Also, six soldiers were killed and 20 others sustained injuries during the same incidents,” the Ministry of Defence claimed, adding that the intense artillery duel had continued for several hours.

However, a pro-LTTE Tamilnet website quoting LTTE sources claimed that “11 Sri Lanka Army soldiers were killed and 23 soldiers wounded in a five-hour fighting that erupted in Paalaikkuzhi on Sunday”.

The website did not say anything about the damages suffered by rebels during these clashes. The defence sources claimed that the troops manning the forward defences in the north-eastern Welioya area have an LTTE strong point north of Janakapura. killing at least seven LTTE cadres.

The sources said that the dead bodies of the LTTE cadres killed during this fighting have also been recovered by the troops along with their assault riffles.