Press Release

LTTE Headquarters
Tamil Eelam            
1st July 1999           

SRI LANKA ARMY OFFENSIVE REPULSED

A major military campaign by the Sri Lankan armed forces during the weekend to capture Pallamadu junction and Vidatalttivu town on the western coast of Mannar district of northern Sri Lanka was repulsed by the fierce resistance of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Over 100 Sri Lankan troops were killed, nearly 200 severely injured and 6 Russian built T55 main battle tanks were damaged during the three day battle. Eighty four LTTE fighters attained martydom.

A formidable military force consisting of two Sri Lankan army divisions, with a large number of battle tanks and heavy artillery with aerial cover launched a massive offensive drive from Pappamadu towards Vidatalttivu area in the early morning of 26th June. Fierce fighting broke out between the LTTE fighters and the Sri Lankan troops. The fighting continued for three days. The military formations of the LTTE offered stiff resistance and repulsed all the attempts by the state troops to advance towards Pallamadu junction and Vidatalttivu town. In the meantime indiscriminate Sri Lankan airforce bombardment killed 9 civilians and destroyed several houses in Vidatalttivu area. Four civilian refugees were killed and 15 injured when Sri Lankan artillery shells exploded inside the premises of a Catholic church at Vidatalttivu town on the 29th June.

We wish to point out that the figures of LTTE casualties as announced by the Sri Lankan defence authorities are grossly exaggerated. This misinformation is carried out with the intention of covering up the military debacle of the current offensive operations. Sri Lankan reports that an artillery unit of the LTTE was destroyed by aerial bombardment with heavy casualties on our side are baseless.