Sri Lanka resists incursions

By V.S. Sambandan

COLOMBO, MAY 18. Sri Lankan troops continued to battle incursions by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) into the crucial sectors of the Jaffna peninsula, even as the rebels made ``several attempts'' to advance further eastwards from their positions along the coast.

Indications of the severity in fighting came in the Situation Report of the Government, which said ``troops continue to repulse terrorist attempts to push back security defences at Colombuthurai''. Intense fighting has been on between the rebels and Government troops along coastal Jaffna where the Tigers punctured Army defence lines with a mix of conventional and guerrilla tactics during the past weeks.

``Several attempts by the terrorists to advance eastwards from the Ariyalai area were contained by the security forces by readjusting the defended localities,'' according to a statement of the Special Media Information Centre (SMIC) established after the Government reinvoked the Public Security Ordinance and clamped a blanket censorship on news since May 3. Since Wednesday ``seven security forces personnel have been wounded,'' it said.

With the rebels maintaining a multi-pronged attack on key Army positions in Jaffna, simultaneous fighting is being reported from several theatres of war. At stake in the north are the Jaffna town, the Palaly base complex, Point Pedro and Kankesanthurai. The Palaly airfield is considered the ultimate target as control over it would seriously impair troop and supply movement to the peninsula. With the road link between Jaffna and the mainland under rebel control, the more expensive air and sea routes are taken by the Government to maintain supplies and facilitate troop movement.

Since the latest offensives commenced with the taking of the Iyakachchi-Elephant Pass gateway garrison on April 21, the Tigers have made their presence felt along three sectors of the peninsula which the Army wrested from rebel control with a three- phased operation in 1995.

Consequently, the LTTE has accessed road links to Jaffna and came menacingly close to the town last week, launching attacks at its doorstep. When the focus remained largely on the town, the rebel formations advanced further eastwards to Chavakachcheri. An earlier presence, south of Kilali, gave the rebels the advantage of a possible two-pronged thrust. A northward move, along the eastern Nagar Kovil axis, would take them to Point Pedro and consequently bring Kankesanthurai and Palaly within artillery range.

TV news editor questioned

The Government today said it had taken steps to prevent a possible backlash which could result from stepped-up rebel operations by activating civilian defence committees in the eastern Batticaloa town, where the toll in Wednesday's powerful blast mounted to 29.

In a media-related development, a journalist from a private TV channel, was questioned by police for ``violating censorship'' rules and broadcasting news of the blast. News of the blast was not permitted to be used by the national media as authorities apprehended a backlash.

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