Agence France-Presse,
COLOMBO: Tamil rebels killed at least 100 Sri Lankan soldiers in the nation's bloodiest battle in 18 months on Wednesday, the separatists said, as the military claimed more than 100 rebels died in the fighting.
The Tamil Tigers claimed they killed more than 100 government troops and had recovered 30 of the bodies, which will be returned to the families. The rebels said they lost 16 of their fighters.
The defence ministry said its forces killed more than 100 Tigers and said it had lost 43 soldiers, with another 33 missing in action, following pre-dawn fighting in the northern peninsula of Jaffna.
“The Sri Lanka army suffered more than 100 killed in action and about 500 wounded in action,” the LTTE said. “Sixteen valiant LTTE soldiers sacrificed their lives in this confrontation.”
The military suffered its heaviest loss in a single offensive since October 2006.
“Forty-three soldiers made their supreme sacrifice while another 120 soldiers suffered injuries,” the defence ministry said, adding that “over 100 LTTE cadres have been killed and a large number had suffered injuries.”
There was no independent verification of the conflicting tolls.
But a Sri Lankan military source confirmed that troops mounted a two-pronged assault on the LTTE's forward defence lines under the cover of darkness and were forced to retreat after encountering strong resistance.
A picture released on a pro-rebel website showed what was said to be soldiers killed inside a Tiger bunker line.
Security forces have been trying to dismantle a de facto rebel mini-state in the island's north after successfully driving the guerrillas out of the neighbouring eastern province in July 2007.
The government is staging crucial provincial council polls in the east on May 10 and has been banking on further military success against the Tigers to boost their electoral fortunes.
Defence sources said Wednesday's setback was a repeat of the October 2006 debacle, when security forces were pushed back by a major Tiger counter-offensive, leaving 129 government soldiers slain and 515 wounded.
The latest setback came despite official claims that the separatists had been virtually wiped out.
At the start of the year, the military said there were only 3,000 Tiger rebels left.
Latest official defence ministry figures, which include Wednesday's toll, show that 3,073 Tigers have been killed by security forces this year.
During the same period, the military has lost 223 soldiers, according to the defence ministry.
Military analysts noted that security forces had underestimated the strength of the Tigers, who had concentrated their forces in their mini-state in the north after they were driven out from the multi-ethnic eastern province.
Troops have been using aircraft, helicopter gunships and multi-barrel rockets against the Tigers, while the rebels deploy mostly artillery and mortars.
However, the guerrillas have also occasionally used suicide bombers and light aircraft.
The Tigers ran the Jaffna peninsula as a de facto separate state for five years until they were driven out in October 1995. However, they took back the southern part of the peninsula in April 2000.
The LTTE have been fighting to carve out an independent homeland for minority Tamils since 1972. Tens of thousands have died on both sides in the conflict.
