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Sri Lankan forces capture Tiger base
Sri Lankas military has taken the Silavathura area in the northwestern district of Mannar, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said on Sunday, a day after the military launched a new offensive to drive out Tamil Tiger rebels. The rebels, meanwhile, said the death toll from a claymore set by the military in the area had risen to nine. The offensive came days after Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said the country had no plans for a major operation on rebel-held territory in the countrys north. The clashes in Mannar are the latest in a spate of land and sea clashes, ambushes and air raids between the armed forces and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels. The security forces had liberated the Silavathura as they have liberated (the) east, said President Rajapaksa referring to military recent operation which evicted Tamil Tiger rebels from restive east. Military Spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said the military was consolidating positions in the captured areas and had also taken a rebel naval base. The army successfully captured an LTTE Sea Tiger base, including three boats and a large quantity of anti-personnel mines and detonators, the defence ministry said. It said an unspecified number of civilians had fled and sought shelter in schools and a church within the government-controlled area of Mannar. The army is now engaged in consolidation operations to retain control of the area, the defence ministry said. Posted by: Fred 2007-09-03 |
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