11.   He said aerial strikes were used primarily to interdict rebel reinforcements while ground troops fired close-range mortars against well-fortified bunkers.

12.   The thick forest canopy gave the rebels a natural defence against aerial strikes, he said.

13.   Munasinghe denied there had been any other aerial strikes in addition to the bombardment of LTTE targets in Velvettiturai.

14.   The LTTE alleged that thousands of civilians had fled the region in the face of intense artillery and aerial strikes.