Category: Defense

January 7, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger guerrillas are “near extinction” as troops press home their initiative after capturing the rebels’ political capital, the defence ministry said Wednesday. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to 678 Government forces have advanced towards the final remaining strongholds […]

Jan 07, 2009 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government said it had decided to re-impose a ban on Tamil Tigers after a lengthy military campaign that has seriously weakened the rebels and cornered them in the island’s north-east. Maithripala Sirisena, spokesman for the cabinet of ministers, said the cabinet took the decision at Wednesday’s meeting […]

COLOMBO, January 7, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka Wednesday decided to ban formally the Tamil Tigers in a symbolic move that signals closing the prospect of early peace talks with the rebels, a senior minister said.The Tigers, who are already outlawed by the United States and the European Union, have been waging a drawn-out campaign […]

COLOMBO, January 7, 2009 (AFP) – A powerful explosion ripped through a railway track just outside the Sri Lankan capital on Wednesday causing disruption to commuter services, police said. Police said there were no casualties following the blast at Mount Lavinia, but the Colombo-bound track was damaged and train services were suspended pending investigation. “Fortunately […]

January 6, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops were battling Tuesday to flush out Tamil Tigers from the Jaffna peninsula after taking the rebels’ political headquarters in the northern mainland, the military said.Security forces were pushing into remaining rebel-held territory in the Jaffna area after taking a part of the Elephant Pass, a causeway linking […]

January 5, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops backed by tanks and helicopter gunships moved against the remaining Tamil Tiger jungle strongholds after taking their political headquarters, the army said on Monday.Soldiers were fanning out from positions in the north of the island and heading towards remaining rebel pockets after seizing the Liberation Tigers of […]

January 5, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops battling Tamil rebels Monday captured part of the highly strategic Elephant Pass in a second major success just days after taking the guerrillas’ political headquarters, the army said.Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said the southern part of Elephant Pass, a causeway linking the northern Jaffna peninsula to the […]

KILINOCHCHI, January 4, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka said Sunday its troops were battling towards the jungle headquarters of the Tamil Tigers, two days after retaking their main city in a military assault that the government said would crush the guerrillas once and for all.Government soldiers consolidating their new positions in Kilinochchi, the former Tamil […]

KILINOCHCHI, January 4, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s army said Sunday it was moving in on the jungle stronghold of the Tamil Tiger rebels, in a final assault aimed at ending the longest-running ethnic war in Asia.Flush with confidence after retaking their main city two days ago, the army vowed to capture rebel leader Velupillai […]

January 4, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankans celebrated the fall of the Tamil Tigers’ de facto capital with street parties, but military observers say bloodier battles may still lie ahead as the rebels take refuge in the jungles.by Amal Jayasinghe “This is certainly not the end of the war,” Sithadthan said. “We can say this […]

January 3, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops advanced Saturday on the military headquarters of the Tamil Tigers, a day after capturing the rebels’ de facto political capital in the north of the island. The defence ministry said forces were moving towards Mullaitivu, the jungle district along the northeastern seaboard, where the Tigers are known […]

January 3, 2009 (AFP) – At least three people were wounded in a bomb blast in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo on Saturday, a day after a suicide bomb attack killed two people elsewhere in the city, police said. The latest explosion was outside a mosque in Colombo’s commercial area of Pettah, police said, adding that […]