In a major breakthrough in their ongoing offensive against Tamil Tigers, Sri Lankan forces today seized the key town of Paranthan on the edge of Kilinochchi after intense battles which left 50 rebels dead, the defence ministry said.
The fall of Paranthan after about six weeks of fighting, opens the third front against the rebels de-facto capital of
Kilinochchi, situated just six kms away.
This would now isolate LTTE cadres based on Elephant pass, and enable government troops new access into the
Northern territories held by the Tigers.
At least 50 LTTE fighters were killed and over 100 injured in fierce clashes as Sri Lankan Army this morning
captured the strategic LTTE Paranthan base, about 6 kms from the
LTTE headquarters of Kilinochchi town, the officials said.
"The Sri Lankan Army used helicopter gunships, fighters and artillery guns, whose combined onslaught forced the LTTE to withdraw from the town in disarray," officials said.
LTTE resistances and counterattacks were outflanked bythe intense military armour attacks and concentrated artillery and mortar fire by ground troops, they said.