Colombo

Sri Lanka army attacks seven Tamil rebel boats

Sri Lanka FlagColombo - Sri Lanka's Navy and Air Force jointly attacked a cluster of Tamil rebel boats off the island's north-eastern coast on Tuesday morning, killing at least six rebels, military officials said.

Fighting broke out after the Sri Lanka Navy's elite Special Boat Squadron confronted a cluster of "sea tiger" boats off Nayaru, more than 370 kilometres north-east of Colombo, shortly before dawn.

The navy destroyed two of the boats while the air force attacked five of the boats fleeing the area, officials said.

Sri Lanka's military destroys seven Tamil rebel boats

Sri Lanka's military destroys seven Tamil rebel boats Colombo  – Sri Lanka's Navy and Air Force jointly destroyed a cluster of Tamil rebel boats off the island's north-eastern coast on Tuesday morning, killing at least six rebels, military officials said.

Fighting broke out after the Sri Lanka Navy's elite Special Boat Squadron (SBS) confronted a cluster of sea tiger boats off Nayaru, more than 370 kilometres north-east of Colombo, shortly before dawn.

The navy destroyed two of the boats while the air force, which were called in to support the sailors, destroyed five of the boats fleeing the area.

Troops capture key rebel-held areas in northern Sri Lanka

Sri LankaColombo  – Government troops captured key rebel-held areas in northern Sri Lanka on Monday as security forces intensified ground and airstrikes after taking control of a strategic coastal town in the region, military officials said.

Troops controlled of a strategic junction on a main highway to the northern part of the country Monday and a coastal village in the north- eastern side of the country, the army said.

Lanka army ''takes Tiger base''

Sri LankaColombo, Nov. 15 : Sri Lankan soldiers have entered the strategically important Tamil Tiger stronghold of Pooneryn, according to the ministry of defence.

The move follows months of fighting and the BBC quoted officials as saying pitched battles are still taking place in the area.

If the army succeeds in taking control, it will have access to the land route up the north-west coast to Jaffna.

Sri Lankan president calls for rebel surrender after key battle

President Mahinda RajapaksaColombo  - President Mahinda Rajapaksa renewed his call for Tamil rebels to lay down weapons and enter the political mainstream after government troops captured a key coastal town in northern Sri Lanka Saturday.

"Our troops have made a significant victory. Even at this moment I call the LTTE (Tamil rebel) leader Velupillai Prabhakaran to surrender and come for negotiations," Rajapaksa said in a nationwide address after the army announced it had taken control of Pooneryn, 360 kilometres north of the capital.

Key provincial official shot to death near Colombo

Sri LankaColombo  - A key official in the Eastern Province government, which was recently established after Tamil rebels were driven out of the area, was shot to death Friday on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital, police said.

Kumarasamy Nandagopan, alias Ragu - private secretary to the province's chief minster, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan - was shot in Athurugiriya while travelling in a car. His driver also was killed.

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