Oct 05, Colombo: Sri Lankan troops engaged in a multi-prong offensive in Wanni are nearing the LTTE rebel’s main town of Kilinochchi in heavy fighting that killed 27 Tigers and nine soldiers, the military said today. Another 47 Tigers and 12 soldiers received injuries.

Fierce fighting took place along the Kilinochchi battlefront. Troops of 57 division and troops of Task Force 1 operating on the western half of the Kilinochchi front confronted the Tigers throughout the day killing 20 Tigers and injuring another 16. Six soldiers also lost their lives during the fighting that captured 4 LTTE bunkers.

An LTTE bunker line along Nachchikuda-Akkarayankulam road was completely destroyed by the troops of the 58 Division Saturday afternoon and continued their advance further northwards. LTTE mortar and artillery fire directed at Pundiweddikulam and Panal Kandamadu killed two soldiers and injured 5 more, the reports said.

Troops operating in the Vavuniya front destroyed four LTTE bunkers killing 2 Tigers. Also, a soldier was killed and another was injured due an explosion of an IED in the evening hours.

Meanwhile, troops of 59 Division operating in the Mullaitivu front destroyed five LTTE bunkers. Fighting in the area killed 5 Tiger rebels and injured another 25, the military reports said.

A soldier was injured due to an AP mine explosion at Muhamalai in Jaffna yesterday afternoon.

Casualty figures cannot be verified independently as the media have no access to the battlefronts. However the government says nearly 7,000 guerrillas have been killed since the government launched its military offensive to liberate the North.