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Sri Lanka to resume offensive after truce lapses
reuters.com,
1 february.
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan troops will move in to free thousands of people trapped by fighting with Tamil Tiger rebels after a government-declared 48-hour truce lapsed, a defence spokesman said on Sunday.
Sri Lanka's army has surrounded the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a 300 sq km slice of jungle in the Indian Ocean island's northeast, aiming to end a war that started in 1983 and is one of Asia's longest-running conflicts.
Concern has grown for their safety of 250,000 people aid agencies say are trapped inside the battle zone, although the government describes those numbers as overblown.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said hundreds have been killed or wounded in fighting since last week. Colombo also disputes the number of civilian casualties but has not provided exact figures.
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Published: Sun Feb 1 04:20:27 EST 2009
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Sri Lanka may be verging on victory in 25-year war against rebels
kansascity.com,
2 Feb 2009.
After 25 years of civil war, Sri Lanka's army appears to be on the verge of a decisive victory against separatist rebels who pioneered suicide bombing.
A multi-pronged offensive launched in early January led to a rapid collapse of the rebel Tamil Tigers' control of what had been near-autonomous territory on this idyllic island state in the Indian Ocean. Now the rebels are on the run, and the government is demanding that they allow civilians under their control to flee, a possible indication that the Sri Lankan army intends to fight them to the finish.
More than 70,000 people have died
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Published: Mon Feb 2 20:45:09 EST 2009
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Sri Lankan president renews call for rebels to surrender
xinhuanet.com,
2 february.
COLOMBO, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse on Sunday renewed his call for Tamil Tiger rebels to surrender, the state radio announced here on Sunday.
The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation said Rajapakse told a political rally on Sunday at the central town of Hanguranketha that all facilities would be made available for Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres who want to surrender to government troops.
"The whole country has united against terrorism and no one will be able to stop the forward march of the troops," the radio quoted the president as saying.
Rajapakse, who is the commander-in-chief of the troops, and his Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka have led a victorious battle against the LTTE since 2006.
The Army has captured all the main strongholds of the LTTE in the north and east including its former administrative capital of Kilinochchi and its military capital of Mullaithivu.
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Published: Mon Feb 2 04:11:33 EST 2009
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