The Ceylon News

Aiming to capture the last few LTTE pockets, Sri Lankan troops pushed deeper into the island's north amid stiff resistance from the cornered rebels and seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition even as over 80 Tamil civilians crossed over to government areas from the Tiger-held region.

The security forces inflicted heavy damage on the LTTE during clashes in Pudidukirippu area in Mullaittivu last evening, the Defence Ministry said today, without elaborating.

The Army also suffered some damage in the confrontations, it said.

In a separate incident, a soldier was injured in an explosion of an anti-personnel mine in Visuadmadu area in Mullaittivu yesterday, the ministry said.

An LTTE artillery and mortar fire in Pudukudirippu caused minor damage to the army.

In Nachchimunai area of Mulllaittivu, troops recovered fire arms, besides claymore mines and mortar bombs during search operations.

In Puliyanpokkarai, security forces suffered minor damage during confrontations with the LTTE, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said.

Meanwhile, 81 more civilians reported to the government- controlled areas throughout the day yesterday.

Of the 81 civilians, 66 people, including women and children, sought protection in Puthukudirippu area yesterday, the MCNS said. Another 15 civilians reported to the security forces at Mullaittivu the same day.

The government yesterday announced that at least 250 LTTE cadres had been killed in the fighting this month so far.

The troops and commandos had comprehensively neutralised the LTTE offensive waves, seizing a large haul of weapons during the last one week, security sources said.

The security forces also thwarted successive attempts by the LTTE to infiltrate the military forward defence lines South of Chalai on Sunday.