Hundreds die in Sri Lanka offensive

Election posters: military success could help pro-government candidates

Hundreds of troops and rebels are reported to have been killed in a major Sri Lankan army counter-offensive in the Jaffna peninsula.

A military spokesman said the troops had captured some land in Columaturai area, east of Jaffna town.

President Kumaratunga vowed to end the war when first elected

The offensive began on Sunday, when thousands of troops - backed by aircraft cover - moved into the Tamil Tiger-held territories of Sarasalai, Maduvil and Nunavil.

The army said it had lost 114 soldiers, and claimed that more than 200 Tamil rebels had been killed in the offensive.

The offensive is now completed, the military say.

The Tamil Tigers, in a statement released from London, said they had killed more than 100 soldiers but did not mention their own casualties.

"Facing superior firepower from land and from air, the LTTE combat formations are putting up fierce resistance," the statement said.

The army says its offensive was aimed at providing better protection to Jaffna town, which has been surrounded by Tamil rebels since they wrested control of large territories around it, last year.

Significant timing

The offensive's timing is significant, because it comes just a month before Sri Lanka votes for a new parliament.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga has often said that the Tamil rebels must be defeated militarily before any negotiations can take place.

It is believed that if President Kumaratunga is successful against the rebels, her party may benefit in the general elections.

In April, the rebels captured Elephant Pass - the only land route to the Jaffna Peninsula.

The government has been under pressure to gain ground in the war since then.

President Kumaratunga's critics say this offensive is partly to boost her prospects in polls.

Government censors have warned the country's media not to publish news stories that could affect the morale of the armed forces.

Election fever

More than a month before from the vote, election fever has already swept Sri Lanka, with posters of candidates everywhere.

The opposition's campaign highlights the poor state of the economy

President Kumaratunga's government has been campaigning on its efforts to end the civil war by bringing in a new constitution that will give the provinces more autonomy.

Nationalist Sinhalese groups and senior Buddhist monks have rejected the draft constitution on the grounds that it might lead to the disintegration of the country.

Security in and around Colombo has been stepped up in advance of the vote, with four bullet-proof cars brought in for senior ministers.