COLOMBO, May 14: Government troops captured a key township in northern Sri Lanka, but then ran into heavy resistance from the Tamil militants on the second day, today, of a massive offensive to capture a vital highway in the regions, officials and Tamil sources said.

Troops backed by tanks, artillery and helicopter gunships, swept into the deserted Omanthai township, about 10 km north of Vavuniya town, encountering little resistance, they said.

However, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) stalled their further advance northwards by putting up a fierce resistance, despite heavy artillery shelling by the forces, they added.

Fierce fighting had broken out in the north of Vavuniya on Wednesday as hundreds of cadres of the LTTE launched a stiff counter-offensive at Omanthai to repulse the advance by Sri Lankan Army on the second day of the military offensive to take control of the strategic highway to Killinochi through Tiger-controlled Vanni.

A statement issued by the Defence Ministry said 23 soldiers were injured in the fighting in Omanthai, a small town about 10 kms north of Vavuniya, on day two of Operation Jaya Sekuru.

``Troops encountered heavy enemy resistance in the area of Omanthai. But we have overcome the resistance and are now consolidating in the captured area,'' a military spokesman told The Indian Express.

According to sources, fighting erupted one km outside Omanthai town where the Tigers were reported to have built bunkers across the main Killinochi highway.

Reports filtering across to Vavuniya in the last few days said the LTTE, anticipating the offensive, had stationed a large number of its cadres there to prevent an advance.

Unconfirmed reports said that the column advancing from Poovarasankulam also encountered stiff resistance at Ichchankulam, seven kms north-west of Vavuniya.

Residents of Vavuniya reported seeing ambulances racing from the battlefront through the town to the base hospital at Anuradhapura.

Wards are also being readied for casualties at Vavuniya base hospital, sources said.

While there is no information about the LTTE's casualties, a statement from the group's London headquarters admitted to losing two members on Tuesday, soon after the military launched Operation Jaya Sekuru.

Civilians living in and around Omanthai have fled further north to Mullaithivu, Mallavi and Tunnukai to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. In the last few days, many also crossed over to live in the refugee camps at Vavuniya.

Sources said the military was on the verge of capturing Omanthai but the Tigers are not expected to give up without putting up a fight for what has been for them an important town.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.