Sri Lankan fighter jets bombed and destroyed a Tamil Tiger forward operating and sea training base in the island’s rebel-held far north on Friday, the military said. However, there were no immediate details of any casualties from the raid in the northeastern district of Mullaittivu, a day after the air force said it had destroyed a rebel camp in the same area. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were not immediately available for comment on the latest burst of civil war violence, and there were no independent accounts of what happened. “We believe that it (the base) has been substantially damaged,” said Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Andrew Wijesuriya.
Forward operating base: “Basically it’s their forward operating base to launch operations in Welioya and it is also used to train sea Tiger cadres.” Fighting between the military and the Tigers has intensified since the government formally scrapped a 6-year-old ceasefire pact last month. The government says the rebels had used the truce to re-arm and has vowed to crush them.
Sri Lankan forces are trying to drive the rebels from their northern stronghold and bring an end to a 25-year civil war, but analysts say neither side is winning and predict the fighting will grind on. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it was deeply concerned about the growing number of civilian casualties among more than 70,000 people estimated killed since 1983. The ICRC said 180 civilians were reported killed and around 270 wounded so far this year in bombings on buses, train stations and in the streets.