AN INVASION TO KILALY CRUSHED SAYS THE ARMY

By Walter Jayawardhana

Brigadier Athula Jayawardena , the spokesman for the Sri lanka Army said that the army and navy were able to crush a military assault by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to capture Kilali in the North.

He said a combined attack by the Tigers using their ground troops as well as Sea Tigers was successfully repulsed.

He said result of the defeated battle could be very well seen by the Tiger dead bodies strewn all over the Kilali bay area , amounting to about 75.

He said the security forces are now noticing that the Tigers are once again getting ready for a fresh attack after the former one at Muhamalai was defeated.

He said at Muhamalai Kilali and other places, between 300-350 Tigers have been killed. Meanwhile he said the security forces have also consolidated their power at Trincomale and Mavil Aru.
Brigadier Jayawardena said fixed wing aircraft cannot be landed at Palai military airport since the LTTE continued firing artillery at the air port. Instead the military was using helicopters and sea for transport. The army has also destroyed 5 artillery guns at Pooneryn so far and trying to destroy more , he said.

Other sources said a large number of child soldiers have been used by the LTTE for the Kilali invasion and many dead bodies of them could be found. A body of a senior Sea Tiger cadre Rani manindren was also found they said