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 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.
The rebels ran the peninsula as a de facto separate state for five years until 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 military on Friday bombed what it called a Sea Tiger base used to manufacture attack craft. The LTTE in a statement Sunday said the air force had hit a civilian boatyard and wounded two people.
The defence ministry said a large number of guerrillas were killed on Saturday.
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