| Submit your comments on this article |
| Sri Lanka |
| More Heavy Fighting Between Army And Tamil Tigers |
| 2006-08-10 |
| Colombo, 10 August (AKI) - Heavy fighting resumed on Thursday in the northeast of Sri Lanka between the army and the separatist rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). According to the pro-rebel website, Tamilnet, at least 45 civilains were killed and several others injured when the Sri Lankan army launched aerial and artillery attacks in Kathiraveli and surrounding villages in the north-east as thousands of civilians continue to flee the area. The military has denied the claim by the Tamil Tigers. Both sides have given conflicting reports of the latest violence. The Sri Lankan government began on offensive last month to gain control of the Maavilaru waterway after the Tamil Tigers cut the water supply to villages. This latest fighting is the worst between the two sides since a ceasefire was siged four years ago. In a bid to re-open the waterway, the Sri Lankan army deployed 2,000 soldiers to the area. Last week the government accused the rebels of ethnic cleansing as closing the waterway deprived thousands of farmers and tens of thousands of civilians - mainly ethnic Sinhalese and Muslims - of water. Most of the violence has been in the town of Muttur, some 70 kilometres south of the waterway. Thousands of the town's residents, who are mainly Muslims, have fled the area. Reports say almost 800 people have been killed in the fighting in recent months. |
| Posted by:Steve |