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Heavy fighting in Sri Lanka leaves 82 dead, say combatants
Monday, 4 June 2007 - 9:00 AM SL Time
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Tiger rebels destroyed army bases in northern Sri Lanka leaving 82 combatants dead according to both sides Sunday as the island`s main aid donor, Japan, was set to launch a fresh peace bid.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they launched attacks along a broad front in Vavuniya and Mannar districts.
They captured armoured vehicles and heavy weapons after destroying long-range guns belonging to the military. They also said they destroyed four or five gun positions.
The Tigers said they killed at least 30 security personnel in a five-hour battle to capture several gun positions and military detachments. The Tigers also released pictures of an armoured carrier and bases they captured.
The Defence Ministry said heavy fighting raged in the area, but claimed that the military had beaten back a guerrilla offensive by killing at least 52 Tiger cadres.
Neither sides` claims can be verified but the guerrillas said they were planning to return the dead bodies of 16 government soldiers through the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Tiger spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiriyan said that the guerrillas had established a forward defence line in areas previously held by the military following the commando-style attack which began Saturday night.
`The LTTE troops are consolidating their positions in the recaptured area,` Ilanthiriyan said in a statement. He said a military artillery unit was also `completely destroyed.`
Sporadic artillery exchanges continued in Vavuniya district, which borders rebel territory, the military and rebels said Sunday. Residents and officials said they had heard heavy shelling since Saturday night.
Japan`s special peace envoy to Sri Lanka, Yasushi Akashi, is due to head to the conflict zone during a four-day visit to the South Asian tropical island beginning Tuesday, officials and diplomats said.
They said Akashi was hoping to jump start Sri Lanka`s now moribund peace process. The envoy, seen as a key figure, in 2003 helped to raise 4.5 billion dollars in pledges to support a Norwegian-backed bid to resolve the conflict.
President Mahinda Rajapakse on Friday said he was willing to resume talks with the rebels even as fighting continued in the troubled northern and eastern regions, where deaths are reported daily.
Also Sunday, two Red Cross workers were found shot dead in central Sri Lanka, a day after they were abducted by men claiming to be from the police, the charity said.
The defence ministry said an investigation was under way into the worst attack against aid workers since the August massacre of 17 local employees of Action Against Hunger, a French charity.
More than 700 people are reported missing in Sri Lanka in the past year and international rights groups have asked the government to end a culture of `impunity` and punish those responsible for extrajudicial killings.
Government troops and the rebels have been locked in combat following the breakdown of a 2002 ceasefire arranged by peace broker Norway.
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Kandyan
Joined: Mar 2005
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 4 Jun 2007 04:59:10 GMT Report for Abuse
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Are these military losses part of the Chinthanaya? This is really pathetic. Sri Lanka is such a small country. If we had good military and political leaders, the war would be over in a few months.
Edited By - Kandyan - 4 Jun 2007 05:01:07 GMT |
Kandyan
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4 Jun 2007 05:10:15 GMT Report for Abuse
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| I am just asking for there to be some kind of accountability at the top, where it matters most. A soldier just takes orders, he doesn't decide on the battle plan. All I hear about day after day is corruption... virtually everyone in Sri Lanka who has substantial power is a cycle of corruption. It's difficult to assess the impact of military losses and the potential for recovery when you have these needless complications to deal with. |
Fargo
Joined: Oct 2006
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 4 Jun 2007 05:10:28 GMT Report for Abuse
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Sinhalase Blood scarified in Tamil Eelam - Good fertilizer for Tamil eelam soil.
All Sinhala terrorist who terrorize Tamils should be sent back in body bags. |
Douglas
Joined: Mar 2007
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 4 Jun 2007 05:13:25 GMT Report for Abuse
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| Army is going to be in spot of bother when they lose MBRL one day. Like they lost Artillery to Tigers in Mullaithvu |
raigamakolla
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 4 Jun 2007 05:16:14 GMT Report for Abuse
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Breaking news !!
Over 200,000 LTTErs backed by over 100 armed vehicles, heavy artillery, MIG fighters and gun ships destroyed two army camps which had been manned by a small but great contingent of the great slankan army.
The great army did not loose its women in men's clothing as they had fled from the camps some hours ago.
The 80 some bodies found are believed to be that of 1/3 of the cabinet of ministers. Keheliya says the demise of such a number of ministers in one go will not affect the government functioning. The bodies will be fed to sharks off the coast of Trincomalie.
Edited By - raigamakolla - 4 Jun 2007 05:21:47 GM |
Robins
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 4 Jun 2007 05:20:50 GMT Report for Abuse
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The donor countries are playing cat and mouse with the lives of the people, they dont realise how foolish the SL Gvt is to sacrifice their own village boys for their selfish motives!
I really think Japan who is funding 60% of the beggings to SL should take some blame!!
Investigation was underway
PLease laugh! freely! |
chinthanaya
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 4 Jun 2007 05:22:34 GMT Report for Abuse
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http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=4212
Who gains by war in Sri Lanka?
There are those who benefit from war and make enormous amounts of money. They are called the Merchants of Death. |
Damed
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 4 Jun 2007 05:23:35 GMT Report for Abuse
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There want be battles without losses in any war theater.
SLA has gain a lot in East. they have to meet the harden LTTE which is now happening.
Real guerrilla war is yet to see as both sides hit and run from there FDLS.
It seems few fronts opened in Vavuniya and Mannar which make GOSL and LTTE to concentrate at once. |
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