S.Lanka troops in striking distance of rebel capital
karthika
22 Aug 2008 11:52:21 GMT
Source: Reuters
COLOMBO, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan troops on Friday captured two
Tamil Tiger-held towns, placing the separatist rebels' de facto
capital within artillery distance, the military said.
It said it captured Tunukkai town, a major logistics area for the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and Uyilankalum in the
northern district of Mullaitivu.
"With the capture of these areas, we can take forward our heavy
weapons like artillery into range of Kilinochchi," military spokesman
Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.
The ground advance came after an air strike to destroy a supply base
in Kilinochchi, and helicopter assaults on bunkers elsewhere in the
rebels' northern stronghold on Friday.
The military said ground troops also killed 24 rebels and wounded 40,
part of a campaign this year to force a military solution to the
LTTE's 25-year insurgency. Four soldiers died and 14 were wounded
during the same battles.
Death tolls are difficult to verify because both sides distort the
figures to their advantage and the military has closed off the war
zones to outside observers.
Since the official scrapping of an often-ignored ceasefire in January,
the Sri Lankan government has sent air, land and sea power to try to
encircle the rebels in their northern strongholds of Jaffna, Vavuniya,
Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu.
The rebels, who are fighting for the creation of an independent state
for the ethnic minority Tamil people in northern and eastern Sri
Lanka, could not be reached for comment.
The war has killed at least 70,000 people. So far this year, according
to a compilation of military data, 5,924 rebels have been killed
against the loss of 787 soldiers.
Lokku Banda
> S.Lanka troops in striking distance of rebel capital
>
> 22 Aug 2008 11:52:21 GMT
> Source: Reuters
>
> COLOMBO, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan troops on Friday captured two
> Tamil Tiger-held towns, placing the separatist rebels' de facto
> capital within artillery distance, the military said.
>