Over 16000 Tamils in Jaffna protest against LTTE terrorism

Tamil civilians in Jaffna today (Dec 21) staged a massive protest against atrocities committed against them by the LTTE terrorists. According to the defence.lk special correspondent in Jaffna, over 16000 civilians marched peacefully from Kaithadi to Chawakachcheri this morning displaying banners and placards with slogans against the LTTE.
The protestors demanded the LTTE to let them live in peace and to free the Tamils held hostage in Wanni LTTE hiding areas.
One participant to the march speaking to defence.lk called the LTTE leader a coward, who is trying to save his life by hiding under shield of innocent civilians.
"All the civilians are in the view that the damaged caused to the Sri Lankan Tamils by the LTTE is irrecoverable. They say that the graveyards are the only achievement of the LTTE" said our correspondent.
"There were many elderly parents who called LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran, a curse upon Tamils that devoured generations of Tamil children" he added.
Meanwhile, the protestors took a special note of the support received by the LTTE from the Tamil Diaspora.
"There were many banners requesting the Tamils living aboard to stop funding LTTE and let the Sri Lankan Tamils to live in peace"
"'We are not pawns of your game of tribalism' was the message they wanted to convey to those who support the LTTE", said our correspondent citing the organizers of the protest.
Also, the organizers told defence.lk that the true voice of Sri Lankan Tamils is barred by LTTE hired hands in the international media. They added the world should recognize that the true aspirations of Sri Lankan Tamils have nothing to do with fanatic ambitions of the LTTE leader.

Heavy fighting as Lankan troops close in on Kilinochchi

The defence ministry said that the troops operating in the north of Kilinochchi town, 350 km north of here, were targeting movement of the rebels Sunday despite bad weather and heavy resistance.

"Troops of the 57 Division, continuing their multi-frontal thrust on the outer fringes of Kilinochchi at Adampan South, Puthumurippukulam, north of Kokkavil and Thirumurikandy, inflicted heavy damages to LTTE during intense fighting reported throughout Sunday," the ministry claimed.

It said troops had captured two bunkers and destroyed another following a series of clashes with the rebels in these areas.

"The terrorists have also put on stiff resistance in the area despite sustaining heavy loses. The military advances continued amidst rains in both Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts Sunday," it said.

Army Commander exposes the death toll at Muhamalai

Although the government did not make any official statement regarding the death toll in fighting to capture the LTTE forward defense line at Muhamalai, the Army Commander said to a weekend newspaper yesterday (22) that 30 state security forces personnel and over 100 LTTE cadres were killed in four days clash.

The Army Commander says, "They have publicized the names of the dead Tiger. They are retreating as we are attacking them. Operations in Muhamalai still go on."

Commenting on Mangala Samaraweera's Defense Watch analysis that over 200 security forces personnel were killed and the rumors that over 600 were killed, the Army Commander stated that This Defense Watch programme had been commenced to hoodwink the public through wrong information. Forty eight hours before we captured Punarin, the person who handles Defense Watch said to media that the war is a delusion, General Sarath Fonseka said. "For that we demolished the Tigers’ rule in a stretch 70 kilometers wide from Madu….We have shown something anyone that has vision can see. It was done after 20 years, How can it be a delusion?"

Wanni liberation unchecked by monsoon, soldiers ready to take the challenge

Victorious Sri Lanka Army soldiers are in a mood to take any challenge that comes in their way in the battlefield, says our special correspondent in Wanni. The Northeast Monsoon has settled down with torrential rains, flooded roads and bogy grounds but the soldiers are moving forward fighting the terrorists and the vile weather with equal strength.
After defeating the massive LTTE counter offensive on Sunday (Nov 23), troops of Army 57 Division (57 Div) and Task Force 1 (TF 1) are further consolidating their positions in the Kilinochchi outskirts.
"Soldiers are busy with strengthening the supply backbone for troops in the forward areas with loads of food, drinking water and medicine being transported there," he said.
"The men are well focused to their mission; 'Kilinochchi we are coming' is the word that goes around here"
Meanwhile intercepted radio transmissions have revealed that a senior terrorist leader called Stanley was killed during recent battle. The outfit has given its self-styled "Lieutenant Colonel" rank to the slain terrorist chief.

Sri Lanka Navy destroys 2 LTTE boats in sea battle, 6 Tigers killed(Friday, November 28, 2008)

Sri Lankan Navy confronted a Sea Tiger flotilla off the coast of Nayaru in Mullaitivu today in a fierce pre-dawn attack killing 6 sea Tigers and destroying two Tiger boats, the military said.
According to the defense sources, Navy's elite Special boat squadron (SBS) personnel upon detecting a cluster of 7 LTTE boats along the coastal waters off Nayaru fired at the boats and destroyed two of the boats while damaging another.
Air Force MI-24 helicopter gunships have provided close air support to the Navy causing the other four other LTTE craft to flee.
Citing intercepted LTTE communication defense officials said 6 Tigers were confirmed killed and as many injured.

Sri Lankan army marching towards Kilinochchi

Sri Lankan troops have intensified the battle near the LTTE-controlled headquarters of Kilinochchi amidst fierce resistance by the Tamil Tigers and are now consolidating their position near Mannar, officials said today.
Sri Lanka army offensive divisions in the Wanni theatre of operations are now marching towards the Kilinochchi built up in three frontiers, defence sources said. They said Army Task Force 1 and 57 Division have launched attacks at the LTTE held earth bund on the outskirts of Kilinochchi.
According to the latest reports, pitched battles are going on in the north of Adampan, South of Adampan and Therumurikandi areas near Mannar since early this morning.
Army Task Force 1 launched a predawn offensive targeting LTTE defence in the North of Adampan area.
Infantrymen of 17 Gamunu Watch, 12 Gajaba Regiment, and 8 Sinha Regiment have captured LTTE strongholds on the earth bund at three locations after crushing stiff resistance.
"Troops are now consolidating their positions," the defence ministry said, adding intercepted radio transmissions have confirmed heavy damages to the rebels during the clashes.
Meanwhile, Army's 57 division troops are now fighting the LTTE in the vicinity of the rebel held earth bund in the Adampan area.
According to the sources, LTTE defence in the area "are fast falling apart" as Troops of 12 SR, and 9 GR engage in operations in the region.
In the North of Kokavil area in Kilinochchi, troops of 8 Sri Lanka Light Infantry, and 10 SLLI are now advancing towards the A-9 road.

Tigers could go back to guerrilla war as mini state crumbles

A pledge by Sri Lanka's Tamil rebel leader to fight on despite a military onslaught raised fears Friday of a return to a hit-and-run guerrilla war as his mini-state faced potential collapse.
Separatist chief Velupillai Prabhakaran vowed Thursday the rebels would "continue with our struggle until the alien Sinhala occupation of our land is evicted," referring to Sri Lanka's majority Sinhalese population, and appealed to Tamils abroad for support to shore up his military machine.
Government forces have surrounded Prabhakaran in his political capital of Kilinochchi in the biggest-ever military campaign in the history of Sri Lanka's armed separatist struggle, which dates back to 1972.
Prabhakaran's speech delivered over Voice of Tigers radio contained veiled threats against civilians and suggestions the rebels would revert to hit-and-run attacks as their territory shrank, observers said.
"Prabhakaran acknowledges there's fighting all around him and that he's under siege," said retired army brigadier general Vipul Boteju. "When he says he will fight on, it means he will return to his classic guerrilla tactics."
State radio warned Friday that Tiger rebels could resort to "desperate attacks" and called for public vigilance as heavy fighting raged in the island's northern regions where Tamils predominate.
Security across the country had been stepped up, officials said, after a spate of bombings in Colombo and elsewhere targeting key political and military figures as well as government installations.