Category: Defense

July 17, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s government on Thursday unveiled new restrictions on how long United Nations and other foreign aid staff are allowed to work on the war-torn island.The new regulations come amid a backdrop of mounting tensions between the government and the United Nations and key member states, who have been highly […]

July 17, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s former colonial ruler Britain has called for trust between multi-ethnic communities to end Sri Lanka’s spiralling violence, while also voicing concerns about rights abuses.British lawmaker Mark Malloch-Brown told reporters in Colombo that London was worried about an escalation in the separatist conflict, which has left scores dead on […]

July 16, 2008 (AFP) – Several human bones have been found in an unmarked grave in Sri Lanka’s eastern district of Batticaloa, police said Wednesday. The site was discovered by a group of people who were digging a well on Tuesday. “We are not sure if it is a mass grave. Several bones were unearthed. […]

July 13, 2008 (AFP) – At least 30 Tamil Tiger rebels and two government soldiers were killed in fresh fighting in the island’s embattled north, the defence ministry said Sunday.The separatist guerrillas were killed in the Wanni region and the adjoining Jaffna peninsula on Saturday, the ministry said. It said 26 rebels were also wounded […]

July 12, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s defence ministry said Saturday troops had destroyed Tamil Tiger bunkers and killed 18 rebels in fighting in the north of the island.Casualty figures on both sides cannot be independently verified as the defence ministry bars journalists from travelling to the frontlines.The military put its own losses at 20 […]

July 12, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka Saturday tightened mobile phone regulations and forced service providers to maintain full details of phone users as part of anti-terrorism moves. Sri Lanka, which has a population of 20 million people, has 12 million telephone subscribers, of which 10 million are mobile phones, Kariyapperuma said. Phone operators were […]

July 11, 2008 (LBO) – Three people died and 16 were injured when gunmen opened fire on a passenger bus in Southern Sri Lanka in an area where Tamil Tigers have previously targeted civilians, the military said. The military said a passenger bus traveling to from Moneragala in the Uva province to Kataragama in Southern […]

July 11, 2008 (AFP) – At least four people were killed and 26 injured Friday when Tamil Tiger rebels opened fire on a bus in southern Sri Lanka, the defence ministry said. The incident took place just south of the capital Colombo in Buttala, police said, adding that the injured had been taken to nearby […]

July 9, 2008 (AFP) – At least 22 Tamil Tiger rebels and two government soldiers have died in the latest clashes in northern Sri Lanka, the island’s defence ministry said Wednesday.The fighting, which took place on Tuesday, was centred around the Weli Oya, Vavuniya and Mannar regions, the statement said. The rebel Liberation Tigers of […]

July 6, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers on Sunday commemorated 356 men and women who have staged suicide attacks since the tactic was first used by the rebels 21 years ago. The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they held ceremonies in guerrilla-held Wanni region on Saturday to mark the 21st […]

July 2, 2008 (AFP) – Fresh fighting between Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil Tigers has left at least another 27 rebels and two soldiers dead, the defence ministry said Wednesday. Troops shot dead 27 rebels in the districts of Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaitivu on Tuesday, the ministry said, adding that security forces lost two […]

July 1, 2008 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan military helicopter was hit by small arms fire in eastern Sri Lanka Tuesday as President Mahinda Rajapakse visited the region, officials said. The Bell helicopter made an emergency landing in the district of Ampara where the president was visiting to launch a 10-million dollar US-gifted bridge that […]