Sept 28, Colombo: Sri Lanka Air Force launched air attacks today on LTTE targets in support of the ground troops advancing ahead of northern frontlines while ground battles over the weekend killed 31 Tamil Tigers and 8 soldiers. Scores have been wounded in the fighting erupted in the region, the military said.

Air Force fighter jets raided LTTE gathering points in Akkrayankulam area of Kilinochchi today (28) around 3:00 p.m. in support of 57 Division troops while MI-24 Gunships targeted several LTTE positions on the Tannimarurripukulam Tank bund in Welioya.

In ground battles today Army troops of the 58 Division held on to a 1.5 km of the Nachchikuda- Akkrayankulam road in Kilinochchi today amid confrontations that killed 10 Tiger rebels and two soldiers. Another eight soldiers were injured in the attacks.

Troops advancing ahead of Kilinochchi front in several confrontations killed 9 Tigers yesterday. Five soldiers also lost their lives to LTTE artillery fire while another 18 sustained injuries.

Fighting ahead of the frontlines in Vavuniya killed 11 Tigers and injured seven soldiers. Troops captured an LTTE bunker and a building abandoned by the fleeing Tigers.

Meanwhile in Jaffna Army troops in Ponnar launched an attack on a few rebel bunkers Saturday (27) early morning destroying four of them. In two separate clashes at Muhamalai around yesterday afternoon troops destroyed seven Tiger bunkers killing one Tiger and injuring another three.

A soldier was killed yesterday in the Block 03 area in Yala National Park of Southern Sri Lanka in a shootout between the security forces and a group rebels who have fled the North and infiltrated the southern jungles in the country. Troops poised to capture Kilinochchi, the Tigers’ de-facto capital are only four kilo meters away from the town, the army chief Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka said last week.

Defence observers say with daily air attacks and soldiers at the door step Kilinochchi is in the verge of collapsing. Sources say the LTTE has abandoned most of their administrative facilities in the town and have retreated further into the jungles or underground.

Sri Lankan government has vowed to eradicate the rebel group since it walked out from the defunct ceasefire agreement in January and stepped up the military campaign.

So far this year the government says 6,983 rebels and 682 soldiers have lost their lives in the fighting. Independent verification of casualty figures cannot be confirmed since the media is not allowed in the conflict zone.