Rebel Base Air Raided By Sri Lankan Troops

By Matthew Williams
16:31, February 14th 2008
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Rebel Base Air Raided By Sri Lankan Troops

According to the military, a Tamil Tiger camp located in the north territory held by rebels were bombed by Sri Lankan fighter jets on Thursday. Also another 50 rebels were killed in the clashes on Wednesday.

There weren’t any details regarding the casualties from the air attack on Thursday which was called ‘Radha Base’ by the military in the village of Teravikulam, located in the northeastern district of Mullaittivu.

Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Andrew Wijesuriya said: "We would term it as a military base. They use it as a lodging base for their fighting cadres. Pilots have confirmed the targets they have taken, the buildings, were completely destroyed," Reuters reports.

The fighting has intensified since last month the government dropped the six-year ceasefire. The government is thinking that the truce was an excuse used by the rebels to re-arm. 

The LTTE are saying that they are fighting for Sri Lanka’s minority Tamil population, who they say is being persecuted by the majority Buddhist Sinhalese. About 20 percent of the 20 million people in Sri Lanka are Tamil.

The defense ministry says that until now over 1,100 rebels have been killed and 80 soldiers have died since the beginning of the year.

Because of the violence, investments and tourist arrivals in the country are on hold now.

According to the military, 50 rebels died during clashes in the northern districts of Vavuniya and Polonnaruwa and the northwestern district of Mannar.

Earlier the military declared that a rebel mine exploded in Vavuniya on Wednesday killing two soldiers and injuring six others.

Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said: "The pressure we are applying will be continued. Our operations against them will continue to impose maximum casualties to the LTTE and regain LTTE-held areas."

Ever since the Tigers started a campaign in 1972 to form an independent state in the north and east of the country, almost 70,000 people have died.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said that 180 civilians were killed and 270 others were injured this year alone in bombings which occurred on buses, train stations and in the streets.



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