Sri Lanka’s government vowed Monday to continue hitting Tamil Tiger leaders with air strikes as a way of bringing peace to the island, following a raid last week that killed the rebels’ political chief.The bullish warning from Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake came as Colombo appeared to be shifting away from its public commitment to a moribund peace process, and toward a belief that it can now win the 35-year-old war. Speaking in the state-run Daily News newspaper, the premier said the government’s aim was to “eliminate LTTE terrorism and bring peace to the country.” “Our security forces are targeting the hiding places and safe houses of terrorist leaders to deal a mortal blow to the Tigers,” he told the paper.
“They will not stop the relentless pursuit of terrorists,” he added, spelling out that the rebels could expect even more government attacks. On Friday the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) lost their top political leader and de facto number-two, SP Thamilselvan, in a government air raid - the highest-ranking LTTE member to be killed by government forces. The funeral for Thamilselvan took place in rebel-held territory later Monday.
The LTTEÂ’s supremo, Velupillai Prabhakaran, has vowed to step up his campaign for independence from the majority Sinhalese nation following FridayÂ’s raid, and security has been boosted around the capital. ThamilselvanÂ’s death has been seen as another nail in the coffin for peace hopes - as well as a sign that the gloves have again come off. Sri LankaÂ’s defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said the LTTE were never interested in peace anyway.