30 September 1998


LTTE HANDS OVER 600 BODIES OF SRI LANKAN SOLDIERS TO ICRC

The LTTE forces have handed over about 600 bodies of Sri Lankan soldiers which they so far recovered from the captured 15 Kilometre stretch of Sri Lankan military complexes in Kilinochchi. The bodies were handed over by Mr. Thamil Chelvan, leader of LTTE's political section, to the ICRC in Mallavi (Vanni). Further arrangements are being made to hand over another set of bodies later.

There are still many more bodies of Sri Lankan soldiers which lie abandoned among the more remote parts of the huge army base in Kilinochchi and in scrub jungles. LTTE forces are combing the area to collect the bodies to return to their families in the South of the Island.

Badly mutilated or highly decomposed bodies of Sri Lankan soldiers which the Sinhala government would not accept are being cremated by the LTTE with full military honours.

The capture by LTTE of the army-held Kilinochchi is a remarkable feat. The highly sophisticated Sri Lankan military fortifications that comprise a 15 Kilometre stretch form the nodal Tamil town is now under Tamil Tiger's control. LTTE's battle for the taking over of the military-occupied Tamil area started at midnight on September 26 and ended in its capture on the evening of the 29th.

LTTE forces captured huge quantities of arms and ammunitions from the Sri Lankan armed forces.


(English translation of the news released by LTTE International Secretariat, 211 Katherine Road, London E6 1BU, United Kingdom. Tel:0181- 503 4294)