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| Sri Lanka |
| 200,000 plus Tamil civilians rescued |
| 2009-05-08 |
| [Iran Press TV Latest] Over 200,000 Tamil civilians have been rescued from the Tamil Tigers' 'clutches' since January, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa says. "I am glad that over 200,000 civilians have been able to escape from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) due to the meticulous operations of the armed forces," Rajapaksa said in an address to the diplomatic community in Colombo on Thursday. He said the armed forces had engaged in an heroic task to rescue the civilians from the LTTE controlled areas. According to officials, he said, the LTTE is now confined to 4.5 sq kms in the 'No-Fire-Zone' in Mullaitivu. "In my view, the urgent need of the hour is the sensitivity and understanding of the international community on ground realities," Rajapaksa said. Addressing the international community, he said, "The LTTE has an extensive international network spread among many of your countries. As members of the international community, friends of Sri Lanka need to bring pressure to bear on the LTTE to lay down their arms and surrender." In related news, a military spokesman said that the Lankan forces on Thursday fought their way to just 800 meters from Mullaitivu where an estimated 10,000-15,000 Tamil civilians are trapped along with the top LTTE leadership, capturing a Tiger fortification and killing a number of rebels. The troops pushed into the rebel-held village of Karayamulliavaikkal, advancing over areas heavily mined by the Tigers and fighting off attacks from their suicide bombers. Military sources say that between 500 to 1,000 Black Tigers have formed a last wall of defense around Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran and others. |
| Posted by:Fred |