UPDATED ON:
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
17:47 Mecca time, 14:47 GMT
News CENTRAL/S. ASIA
Sri Lanka army makes gains in north

The Sri Lankan military says it has taken several key towns from the Tamil Tigers in recent days [AFP]

The Sri Lankan military says it has overrun a strategically important Tamil Tiger defensive line in the north of the country.

Scores of fighters from the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were killed in several days of heavy fighting in the Jaffna peninsula, the military said.

"They had a lot of casualties and we are going toward the second line of defense," Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, a Sri Lankan military spokesman, said.

The Tamil Tigers, who are fighting for an independent homeland in the north and east of the country, have two further defensive lines in the area around Muhamalai.

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History of the Tamil Tigers

There was no immediate comment from the separatists, but most communication with the north of the island has been cut by a major military offensive launched after Colombo pulled out of a Norwegian-brokered truce with the Tamil Tigers in January.

The Sri Lankan military statement followed a report from the Tigers saying they had forced back a new push into their territory by government forces.

A website affiliated to the separatists had said on Wednesday that Tamil Tiger fighters had killed 36 soldiers along the defensive line. 

Breakthrough

Keheliya Rambukwella, the government spokesman for security and national defence, told Al Jazeera that the military the breakthrough could bring to an end to Tamil Tiger control in Jaffna peninsula.

"Muhamalai is known as one of the areas that is difficult to penetrate because of the bottleneck situation," he said.

"I am happy to say that we have moved on to the first defence line of the LTTE effectively and that will certainly help us because we have been held up there for a couple of years.

The Sri Lankan defence ministry has reported a number of significant gains in recent weeks, including the towns of Mankulam, located just south of the LTTE's major stronghold of Kilinochchi, Kumalamunai, and Poonenyn on the western coast.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed since the LTTE began an armed struggle in 1972 to set up a separate region for minority Tamils.

 Source: Agencies
 
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Feedback Number of comments : 11
 
Thambiah Sabarutnam
Sri Lanka
20/11/2008
Last thirty years, Tigers killed more Tamils than any body else. Also more Tigers were killed by Tigers' Leader Pirabhakaran than any body else.

Thivya Thayabharan
Sri Lanka
20/11/2008
War and militarization has trapped our entire country, and it is ordinary Sri Lankans are paying the price. It is the poor youth that are recruited to fight and die in the war, whether it is in the armed forces or the LTTE. We have to free our people from militarization. We have to change the country into one in which we can all live together, as proud Sri Lankans. Terrorism cannot be negotiated with. LTTE never be pardoned for the atrocities committed against humanity.

Natharjan Rahmanjan - Trincomalee
Sri Lanka
20/11/2008
Evolution of LTTE has been characterised by one constant – its pyramidal structure, with the entire organisation built around its leader, Prabhakaran. LTTE’s strength as well as its limitations are centred around complete loyalty to Prabhakaran, internal fear and, most of all, the suicide cult extensively used to pursue military gains. Unwillingness to engage with any political process, has inhibited the LTTE’s military advances from transforming into political gains.

Nali
Sri Lanka
20/11/2008
Sri Lanka is Confusing
I would agree with Ginza, that LTTE have detroyed the tamils themselves. But we also have to realise that the Sri Lankan government is not different to that. They have destroyed the Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese in the country. Not only Rajapaksha, but the previous leaders of the country was cheating on everyone - regardless of being Tamil, Sinhala or Muslim. Then there are extreme Tamil and Sinhala nationalist factor, which we can not ignore. They are also responsible of bloodshed in Sri Lanka.

N.K.Ashokbharan
Canada
20/11/2008
The Tamils and the Sinhala speaking Sri Lankans are very closely united culturally. Language will not become a subject of racist division in few years if all Sri Lankan children learn Sinhala and Tamil. Let us endeavour to rebuild the brotherhood that once existed between the Sinhala and Tamil speaking Sri Lankans is the only way forward to usher in peace and prosperity once more to this beautiful country of ours that has been torn apart by war and strife.

V Siva
Canada
21/11/2008
Sri Lanka army makes gains in north
The International community is just watching ethnic cleansing and war crimes in Sri lanka. Sri lanka regime is committing unspeakable crimes with the backing of the Indian Government. Unless the International community intervene, War Crimes and ethnic cleasing will continue...

Kanchana
Australia
21/11/2008
communication
i agree witht he comment about teaching Tamil and Sinhalese in schools. The line between the two should not exist and descrimination can only be abolished by awarness and education.

Ginza
Japan
20/11/2008
Sri Lanka Army makes gains in the North
The LTTE have destroyed the Tamils themselves. Nearly 1 million Tamils have fled the LTTE and live overseas. They contribute to the LTTE not because they support the LTTE, only because they don't want a brick thrown at their heads. Much like Hitler, Prabahkaran has formed a Fear State that no one dares to defy. The Army has done well. I too am a minority but I cannot support terrorism for any cause. The defeat of the LTTE will be a victory for the Tamil people of Sri Lanka & the world

lasantha
Netherlands
20/11/2008
who are the Tamils
Sri Lankan = Sinhalese + Tamil + Muslim + and others who born there = Sri Lankan Army LTTE = 4% from Tamils who living in Sri Lanka. Tamils is not a Nation. It’s a Language. So Sri Lankan Tamils & Indian Tamils is not same. They are two Nations

Moothathamby Mahendraraja - Kokuvil
Sri Lanka
20/11/2008
Tamil speaking Sri Lankans are being held to ransom by a ruthless murderer who has had no proper education beyond the primary standard, and has had a very troublesome childhood and grown up with no other skill than to kill, holds all the Tamil speaking Sri Lankans at ransom and dictate terms to them. What did this murderer achieve so far by creating two generations of suicide bombers and child soldiers? Tamil speaking Sri Lankan children’s childhood is being robbed off them.

Jeysin
Maldives
30/11/2008
Sri Lanka army makes gains in north
For all commenters: The Sri Lankan ethnic crisis can be solved only by the war. The current occupation of mass lands does not mean the SLA is winning the war! The forthcoming months all will understand that they were fooled by the SL government's false informations. WHY SO CALLED INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS SO SILENT WHILE SLA IS DROPPING CLUSTER BOMBS ON THE CIVILIANS?

 
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