Colombo - Sri Lankan troops consolidated new defence lines on the northern Jaffna peninsula after Tamil Tiger guerrillas inflicted a stunning defeat on the military at the weekend.
Air force jets and helicopter gun-ships bombed Tamil Tiger targets on Monday night to blunt their advance on Jaffna.
On Saturday the Tamil guerrillas captured the sprawling army base of Elephant Pass, handing the military their most spectacular defeat in 17 years of ethnic war.
Army commander Lieut. Gen. Sirilal Weerasooriya told reporters on Monday that eight officers and 80 soldiers were killed in the weekend battle. The LTTE said more than 1,000 soldiers were killed.