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Sri Lanka Hands Over Rebel Bodies After Fierce Fighting
Sri Lankan government troops on Wednesday handed over the bodies of 36 Tamil Tiger rebels who were killed in the latest round of fierce fighting to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Military spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne said the bodies of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels were handed over the ICRC in the northern Jaffna peninsula.
He said the bodies were part of 69 bodies collected by the troops while consolidating their newly captured positions at Colombuturai in the eastern outskirts of Jaffna town which was the scene of heavy fighting on Sunday and Monday.
ICRC spokesman Harsha Gunawardena confirmed that they had taken 36 bodies and would give over to the LTTE.
The LTTE had said that they were holding bodies of 50 government soldiers, but there was no immediate reaction from the rebels on the swap of bodies.
The offensive began on Sunday when thousands of troops - backed by ground attack aircraft - advanced into Colombuturai, Sarasalai, Maduvil and Nunavil which were lost to the rebels earlier this year.
The Defense Ministry said the LTTE rebels had launched two ferocious counter-attacks against military positions at Colombuturai on Monday, but were repelled.
The military put its losses at 132 soldiers killed with some 800 wounded while claiming to have killed some 300 rebels of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and wounded another 300.
Military officials and diplomats said the latest fighting was linked with general elections on October 10 and more fighting is expected before the elections.
The LTTE is fighting a 17-year war against majority Sinhalese dominated government in a bid to carve out a separate state for minority Tamils in the country's north and east. More than 60,000 people have been killed in the ethnic war.
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