May 02, Colombo: Advancing troops captured the town of Karuppukulam in the Mannar district yesterday (May 1) in an offensive while heavy fighting in the northern battle fronts killed at least 34 Tamil Tiger rebels and a soldier, the military said.

Army infantrymen pushed into the rebel controlled area and have captured an area 1 km in length and 600m in width Karuppukulam 6 a.m. yesterday, defense sources said. According to military sources, a soldier and 15 Tigers were killed in the operation.

Elsewhere in the fronts of Vavuniya, Jaffna, Mannar and Weli Oya troops destroyed LTTE bunkers and launched artillery attacks yesterday killing 19 Tigers, Defense Ministry reported.

Independent verification of casualty figures is not possible as the area is restricted to the media.

Sri Lankan government has launched a military campaign to wrest control of the northern regions from the Tamil Tigers after abrogating the defunct ceasefire agreement in January this year.