|
Water battle rages in Sri Lanka; 40 Tamil Tigers die
The Sri Lankan defence ministry said its forces have repulsed Wednesday's attacks by Tamil Tiger rebels around a strategic northeastern port, killing 40 insurgents and wounding 70 others. The latest fighting raised fears that Sri Lanka was heading for a full-scale war. The rebels said earlier that they had overrun four Sri Lankan army camps around the strategic port of Trincomalee, a day after the guerrillas laid siege to the area, which has seen some of the fiercest fighting in years.The port is an important lifeline for thousands of troops stationed in the northeast, where the rebels want to carve out a separate homeland for the country's 3.2 million ethnic Tamil minority. Trincomalee, with its natural harbour, is of strategic importance to the army and the rebels. The area falls within the envisioned Tamil homeland. Trincomalee town and surrounding areas are controlled by the government, but the surrounding villages and jungle are under rebel rule. Meanwhile, there was no independent confirmation of the ministry's claim, but the administration acknowledged that five soldiers were killed in Wednesday's rebel attacks. In a statement, the ministry said troops had inflicted "heavy casualties killing over 40 Tiger cadres and wounding 70 other terrorists". The statement said the insurgents retreated, leaving bodies behind. Earlier, witnesses in Muttur, near Trincomalee, said they saw the bodies of five rebels. The witnesses spoke on condition that they not be identified out of fear of being victims of violence. If the ministry's claim proves to be true, the death toll in recent days will rise to 128 on both sides. Posted by: ryuge 2006-08-02 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=161728 |