Share this story!            

Jets pound rebel suicide bombers’ base in northern Sri Lanka

* Officials pledge to crush Black Tigers by end of the year
* Say rebels have withdrawn from area as security measures are intensified

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan air force jets pounded a Tamil Tiger suicide fighters’ base deep in the country’s embattled north Thursday, and ground troops seized a major rebel defence line on the north-western coast, the military said.

The air strike on the base of the Tamil Tiger suicide fighters, known as Black Tigers, in the rebel stronghold of Mullaitivu came during an intensified government offensive against the guerrillas’ de facto state in the north. Officials have pledged to crush the rebels by the end of the year.

Air force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said pilots confirmed the attack was successful, but details of damage and casualties were not immediately available.

Troops “launched a multi-pronged offensive and marched toward Nachchikuda from three directions, destroying and capturing vital” rebel positions, the ministry said in a statement.

The rebels “have withdrawn from the area as the security forces intensified their military thrust,” it said.

The military did not provide casualty details, in line with a new government policy, but said its troops inflicted “heavy casualties” on the rebels.

Also Wednesday, soldiers took control of Jayapuram, a rebel-held village in Kilinochchi.

The latest military successes came a day after the rebels’ rudimentary air force bombed a power station on the outskirts of the capital and an army base in the north, injuring three soldiers.

The bombings, which showed that the rebels retain the ability to carry out startling attacks on the government, were a huge morale boost for the reeling guerrillas and an embarrassment for the military. ap

Home | Foreign

Share this story!