Tigers hand over 126 bodies

By V.S.Sambandan

COLOMBO, APRIL 25. The Sri Lankan bomber aircraft pounded rebel positions in northern Jaffna as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) handed over 126 bodies of Government troopers, slain in the Elephant Pass combat, to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Sources in the Government-held northern Vavuniya town said the Sri Lankan military officers were in the process of identifying the bodies.

Compared to the swift advances of the rebels last week, a lull was reported from the conflict-zone with the Sri Lankan Air Force targetting the newly-acquired rebel positions in the northern Peninsula.

The Army, which pulled out from the well-fortified Elephant Pass garrison, has said that it will ``change its tactics'' to counter further LTTE advances into the Jaffna Peninsula.

``Militarily, ups and downs are there,'' the Army Commander, Lt. Gen. Sirilal Weerasooriya, who ordered the pull- out on April 21, told a press conference on Monday. ``As far as we are concerned, we have lost a few kilometres.''

On the impending course of the northern battles, which have been raging with increased intensity since the end of March, he said ``we have to contain LTTE's firepower.''

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Section  : International
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