COLOMBO, June 8: The Sri Lankan army made a slow but steady advance on the LTTE controlled Jaffna highway and moved one more km yesterday, while recovering 21 bodies and weapons of LTTE fighters, army sources said here today.

The sources said troops, armed with Israel made Kfir bomber jets and Russian made MI-24 helicopter gunships, advanced one km from the jungle hamlet Periyamadu, which was captured two days ago.

There was not much resistance from the LTTE in the morning but the rebels put up stiff fight in the evening.

Meanwhile reports in the independent Sunday Times said LTTE was training ``hundreds of disabled cadre'' to undertake suicide missions to prevent the advance of security forces on the Jaffna Road.

The weekend newspaper quoting army officials said LTTE was assembling its cadre who had sustained crippling wounds in the previous battles. The rebels were seen making public appeals to join the ``final assault'' on the army.During yesterday's fighting, army lost six more soldiers with injuries to one officer and 23 others. With this, the army toll in the five-week long battle has gone up to 116 and over 290 are believed to have been hurt.Army quoting rebel transmissions said over 285 LTTE fighters had been killed and another 475 injured.

Besides spotting 21 bodies yesterday, troops also recovered 17 T-56 rifles, some bombs and a radio set, they said.

Reports from northern Vavuniya which was closest centre to the fighting, said the clandestine LTTE radio in its broadcast this morning announced 15 of its fighters including two women cadre were killed but the LTTE press release sent to journalists here from London last night was completely silent on the battle.

It spoke of continuing food shortages in northern Vanni and inauguration of bus stand at Puthkudiyiruppu, about 15 km from north east Mulaithivu while giving no reference to the ongoing fighting. Army sources said the fighter bombers and heavy artillery guns made some direct hits on the LTTE targets yesterday causing fresh casualties among the militants.

There was also heavy fighting reported beyond north east Nedunkeni from where the troops were attempting to close in on LTTE chief Prabhakaran's underground base headquarters. The army sources, while confirming the heavy fighting, said details were not available.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.