Category: Defense

April 25, 2008 (LBO) – A blast near a crowded bus station South of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo has left at least eight dead and more than a 30 injured, police and eyewitnesses said. The explosion went off in the suburb of Piliyandala during the evening rush hour at around 6.45 pm, the defence ministry […]

April 25, 2008 (LBO) – The driver of a bus caught in a deadly explosion that left at least 23 dead said the bomb went off towards centre or back of the bus, just as he was pulling out of the the station. Driver K D Ananda Ratnasiri of the Kesbewa bus depot, who escaped […]

April 24, 2008 (AFP) – Tamil rebels killed at least 100 Sri Lankan soldiers in the nation’s bloodiest battle in 18 months on Wednesday, the separatists said, as the military claimed more than 100 rebels died in the fighting. Updated The Tamil Tigers claimed they killed more than 100 government troops and had recovered 30 […]

April 24, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s hopes of a quick victory over Tamil separatists looked shattered Thursday after Tamil rebels inflicted the heaviest losses on security forces since pulling out of a truce, analysts said.The military leadership began 2007 by withdrawing from the 2002 ceasefire and vowing to crush the Liberation Tigers of Tamil […]

April 24, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka carried out retaliatory air strikes against Tamil Tiger rebels Thursday, a day after intense artillery battles left hundreds killed or wounded, according to officials on both sides.Military jets pounded a suspected hideout of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the coastal district of Mullaitivu where the […]

April 23, 2008 (AFP) – Heavy fighting between security forces and Tamil Tiger rebels broke out early Wednesday in several locations along the northern defence lines, the guerrillas said.Sri Lankan troops mounted simultaneous artillery attacks on rebel positions along the defacto frontline that separates government-held areas from swathes of land under Tiger control, the pro-rebel […]

April 23, 2008 (AFP) – Ferocious fighting erupted in Sri Lanka on Wednesday as government troops made a fresh bid to break into rebel territory, leaving at least 67 dead on both sides, the defence ministry said.A ministry spokesman said 74 soldiers and about 100 rebels were also seriously wounded. The battle started when soldiers […]

April 23, 2008 (AFP) – At least 90 rebels and soldiers were killed and hundreds wounded when Sri Lankan security forces launched an offensive against Tiger guerrillas on Wednesday, the defence ministry said.A ministry spokesman said 38 soldiers were killed and 84 seriously wounded when they tried to advance into territory held by the Liberation […]

April 20, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lankan war planes bombed a flotilla of fast boats operated by Tamil Tiger rebels off the island’s north-eastern waters, the defence ministry said Sunday.. Aircraft carried out the bombing raid in the seas off Mullaitivu on Saturday evening after spy planes spotted the rebel boat formation, the ministry said […]

April 19, 2008 (AFP) – At least 28 Tamil Tiger rebels and one soldier have been killed in artillery duels across Sri Lanka’s war-ravaged north, the defence ministry said on Saturday.Security forces killed 25 members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Mannar district while three others were killed in nearby Weli Oya […]

April 15, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lankan war planes bombed a communications centre inside rebel-held territory Tuesday after heavy ground battles left seven Tamil Tigers dead, the defence ministry said. The target was taken on Tuesday afternoon as ground troops battled the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) along the de facto border of […]

April 16, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka stepped up air attacks against Tamil Tiger rebels Wednesday, deploying jets and helicopter gunships as 12 guerrillas were killed in ground battles, defence officials said. Fighter jets bombed a suspected Tamil Tiger base in the northern town of Oddusudan overnight while Mi-24 helicopter gunships were deployed to attack […]