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Military asks fleeing Tamil rebels to surrender, kills five
 The Sri Lankan military urged Tamil Tiger rebels fleeing attacks by army and commandoes in the east to surrender on Monday, as operations against the insurgents camps intensified. Village heads in Ampara district were told to deliver the announcement to Tamil Tiger rebels who were in hiding or on the run after four rebel bases and seven smaller camps fell to military control last week, military spokesman Brig Prasad Samarasinghe said. Five LTTE members surrendered to police commandoes in Amapara on Sunday evening, he said, without giving further details. Samarasinghe urged the rebels to hand themselves in at the nearest police or army post. The mainstream Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ridiculed the idea. It is not an issue worth commenting upon, rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan said from the insurgents headquarters of Kilinochchi. Now and then they (military) make such meaningless announcements, but we are not bothered. Ilanthirayan admitted, however, that Sri Lankan forces had moved into some rebel-held areas in Ampara. Off course they made advances to our territory in Ampara, but then in Ampara we operate in a guerrilla mode, he said, adding that they are continually on the move. Separately, government forces killed at least five Tamil Tiger rebels during long-range artillery exchanges in Sri Lanka where six civilians were also shot dead, military officials said Monday. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam targeted army positions in the eastern district of Batticaloa on Sunday and troops retaliated killing three guerrillas, a military official said. He said another two Tiger rebels died during clashes in the same region later in the day. Posted by: Fred 2007-01-16 |
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