June 23, Colombo: Sri Lankan troops advanced into non-liberated territory ahead of the LTTE defences in the embattled northern region killing at least 31 Tigers and destroying several LTTE bunkers on Sunday, the military said.

Troops have destroyed 8 LTTE bunkers killing 20 Tigers and injuring 34 others while five soldiers were also killed in heavy fighting yesterday along the battlefronts in Mannar. Nine soldiers received injuries and one was reported as missing, the Media Center for National Security said.

Defense reports said in the battlefronts of Vavuniya Welioya and Jaffna, troops killed 13 Tigers and wounded 36 others. Fifteen soldiers also were injured during the confrontations.

The Army handed over seven male bodies of Tigers killed during confrontations with security forces in Vavuniya during the past few days to the Vavuniya Hospital yesterday (22), MCNS said.

Meanwhile the LTTE website, Tamilnet said the LTTE on Sunday resisted a three-pronged attempt by the Sri Lanka Army to break into their territory in Vavuniya. Eighteen soldiers were killed in the battle at Paalamoaddai, the website claimed.

Independent verification of casualty figures is not possible as the media personnel are barred from the conflict region.