|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We give highest priority to civilian safety: Rajapaksa
hindu,
01-05-2009.
Chennai: Post-Kilinochchi, President Mahinda Rajapaksa expects the Sri Lankan armed forces to make rapid advances and capture Elephant Pass, which controls access to the Jaffna Peninsula, and other key targets in a short while. He is confident that, in the near future, the fighting cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam will have nowhere to go outside the jungles of Mullaithivu district in northern Sri Lanka.
Speaking to me over the telephone from Colombo on Sunday evening, Mr. Rajapaksa expressed satisfaction that his ‘Zero Civilian Casualty Policy’ was implemented perfectly by the armed forces during the operations to liberate Kilinochchi, the administrative hub and de facto ‘capital’ of the LTTE. They would continue to implement this policy in all their operations.
“See what is happening in Palestine! Horrible,” the Sri Lankan President said. “I spoke to the Palestinian President [Mahmoud Abbas] to find out the real situation there.”
More...Discuss this story
Published: Sun Jan 4 20:57:33 EST 2009
|
|
|
|
Sri Lankan Soldiers Target Last Territory Held by Tamil Tigers
bloomberg.com,
Jan. 5 .
Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Sri Lankan fighter jets and helicopters bombed Tamil Tiger bases in the northern district of Mullaitivu, the last stronghold of the rebels, after the army seized their administrative capital, Kilinochchi, last week.
Troops are advancing to Elephant Pass, which lies at the entrance to the Jaffna Peninsula and is controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the government said. Soldiers entered Oddusuddan town yesterday and are 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) away from the pass, the Defense Ministry said.
“Whoever controls the pass will control the whole strategic aspect of north and east,” N. Manoharan, senior fellow at the Center for Land Warfare Studies, in New Delhi, said in a telephone interview. “This is very vital.”
The LTTE, which has fought for 26 years for a separate homeland in the north and east of the South Asian island nation, was driven from the eastern region 18 months ago. President Mahinda Rajapaksa three days ago called on Sri Lankans to support the army as it tries to defeat the Tamil Tigers.
More...
Published: Sun Jan 4 22:38:36 EST 2009
|
|
|
|
|
Another strategic Tamil rebel-held town falls in northern Sri Lanka
Associated Press,
Sun January 4, 2009 07:20 EST .
- - Colombo (dpa) - A strategic town held by Tamil rebels in northern Sri Lanka - was taken into the control of government forces Sunday as they continued an advance into rebel-held areas, military officials said. Oddusuddan town, 320 kilometers north east of Colombo, was taken by the army after weeks of fighting. The town is the main area before the rebel stronghold of Mullaitivu which is the last rebel stronghold. Several other villages remain under rebel control in the area, local reports said. The capture of the town came two days after government forces took control of the administrative centre of the rebels in Kilinochchi, 385 kilometres north of the capital. dpa ad scDiscuss this story
Published: Sun Jan 4 09:41:10 EST 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Express your opinions, meet others at the
