Dec 17, Colombo: Sri Lankan troops fought fierce battles facing heavy LTTE resistance since yesterday morning and finally secured the LTTE built earth bund in west of Paranthan and northwest of Kilinochchi completely by this afternoon, the military said.

Troops of the Army 57 Division and the Task Force 1 captured the LTTE stronghold of Chorikenkulam, about 7 km to the west of the A-9 highway by Wednesday afternoon. During the search and clear operations conducted after the battle, troops found 15 bodies of Tigers died in the fighting along with large quantity of arms and ammo.

Air assaults targeting the Tiger positions on the Kilinochchi town and its outskirts commenced last night supported the advancing ground troops.

Both sides claimed high casualties on the other side in one of the bloodiest battles. Pro-rebel website TamilNet quoting LTTE reported 130 soldiers were killed and 300 soldiers were wounded. A day earlier the military said it had killed 120 Tigers and lost 25 soldiers.

The Army spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara denied the LTTE count of army casualties.

Independent verification of casualty figures however is not possible as media and aid workers are restricted from the war fronts.

Sri Lanka military is confident that it will capture Kilinochchi, rebels’ administrative hub soon. The Army is encircling the Tiger controlled area capturing LTTE strongholds on the fringes of Mullaitivu jungles and pushing the Tigers further back into the east of main A-9 Jaffna-Kandy highway.