Soaring LTTE death tolls;
stranded civilians await rescue mission - Vakarai
Sri Lanka News
Stranded Tamil civilians in the un-liberated areas in East were relieved
as news of the military advances reached the tensed Panichchankerni
and Vakarai areas.
Thousand of civilians were held captive by the LTTE terrorists depriving
them of basic humanitarian aids. Access to food, water and other essentials
were restricted, as the luxuries were stocked to replenish the terrorist
fighting units. Poor sanitary conditions experienced with the torrential
rains recently raised the need for critical health attention in the
area. Women and children suffocated while the LTTE failed to answer
the basic needs.
A humanitarian crisis in the east was exaggerated, when government
convoys of essential items to the IDP's were looted through elements
of the LTTE outfit. Many managed to brave the highly mined and booby
trapped patches of LTTE dominance in the Batticaloa district, despite
intimidation from the LTTE. Dozens of displaced perished while attempting
to brave the choppy seas off Vakarai, during the monsoon.
The "humanitarian mission" into the un-liberated areas
to free thousands of innocent Tamils, from LTTE clutches was launched
under these immediate calls for liberation, from the stranded.
More than three dozens of LTTE terrorists were believed killed, and
injured figures are soaring as fresh clashes erupted in the East.
Military officials said the losses to the LTTE are yet to be finalized,
as the military onslaughts on tiger defences were intrusive.
Accurate figures are difficult to acquire as the SL security forces
were in a rampage over the LTTE defences. The LTTE media units are
yet to respond with exact figures, as terrorist communications experienced
congestion in circuits.
Terrorist casualties were left scattered behind, as the security
forces were consolidating the captured LTTE strongholds. Meanwhile,
preparation were made in conjunction with the ICRC to hand over, recovered
bodies of the LTTE terrorists, said a defence official.
