Air Force thwarts LTTE offensive

Air Force yesterday bombed a Black Tiger camp in Iranamadu, Military spokesman said. Two Kfir fighter jets flew several sorties over the facility close to the Iranamadu tank.

"We conducted surgical-precision strikes after months of surveillance," Coordinating Officer of the Media Centre for National Security, Major Upali Rajapakse said.

Casualties were not yet known, but the Tigers suffered heavy causalties, he confirmed.

In another development, the security forces carried out a pre-emptive attack against a planned Tiger offensive on the Mankerny Kajuwatta forward defence lines, killing 28 Tiger cadres. A senior military official said troops returned fire with Multi Barrel Rocket Launchers (MBRL) and artillery, following intelligence reports of an LTTE build up near the Panichchankerny bridge.

"We have intelligence reports of a concentration of around 70 LTTE cadres near the bridge and were planning to attack our FDL," said the official.

He said according to intercepted Tiger communications, 28 LTTE cadres had been killed. "Another 10 cadres were reported to be in serious condition," he said attributing to LTTE radio communications.