New Framework For Demining In Northern Sri Lanka

Colombo: Sri Lanka government is planning to establish a new framework for the demining process in the recently liberated Northern region.

Advisor for the Ministry of Nation Building M.S Jayasinghe said that they hope to commence the demining process in the North within the next two weeks.

According to the Jayasinghe the government is planning to handover this process to three or four international demining groups in cooperation with the Sri Lanka Army.

The demining process is scheduled to begin from Silawathurei in Mannar District which was completely cleared by the security forces.

Demining of other four districts in the Northern region, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Jaffna and Mullaitivu is to begin step by step in the near future, according to the Ministry. Meanwhile the Nation Building Ministry said that 98% of the demining in the Eastern Province is already completed.

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Four LTTE Boats Destroyed, Navy Craft Damaged In Major Clash:Sri Lanka

Colombo: At least four Sea Tiger boats were destroyed and a Naval fast-attack craft was damaged in a major sea clash off the northeastern Mullaitivu coast, Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.
The Defence Ministry said a fierce gun battle erupted off the coast of Mullaithivu around 11.30 p.m. Monday when the Sri Lanka Navy thwarted "an LTTE attempt to get away".

"The Navy's Fast Attack Craft (FACs) intercepted a flotilla of LTTE Sea Tiger boats launched from Mullaithivu which were attempting to get away and engaged them destroying four LTTE boats and forcing the enemy to retreat and abandon the mission," it said Tuesday.

Sea Tigers is the naval arm of the LTTE.

The Ministry also said that a fast attack craft of the navy sustained damages due to an explosion of an LTTE suicide boat close by.

There was no immediate reaction from the rebels.

According to naval sources, Sri Lanka Navy maintains four defence barriers off the coast of Mullaithivu consisting of more than twenty-five (25) Fast Attack Craft (FACs), Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), Gun Boats, the Rapid Action Boat Squadron (RABS) and the Special Boat Squadron (SBS) to cut off the escape of LTTE cadres by sea and to prevent the unloading of warlike materials on the northeastern coast.

The sea clash has taken place at a time when the military said that the ground troops marching towards the LTTE's last bastions in the north have cornered the rebels in the jungle district of Mullaitivu and their defences were crumbling faster, despite heavy resistance.

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Four LTTE Boats Destroyed, Navy Craft Damaged In Major Clash:Sri Lanka

Colombo: At least four Sea Tiger boats were destroyed and a Naval fast-attack craft was damaged in a major sea clash off the northeastern Mullaitivu coast, Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.
The Defence Ministry said a fierce gun battle erupted off the coast of Mullaithivu around 11.30 p.m. Monday when the Sri Lanka Navy thwarted "an LTTE attempt to get away".

"The Navy's Fast Attack Craft (FACs) intercepted a flotilla of LTTE Sea Tiger boats launched from Mullaithivu which were attempting to get away and engaged them destroying four LTTE boats and forcing the enemy to retreat and abandon the mission," it said Tuesday.

Sea Tigers is the naval arm of the LTTE.

The Ministry also said that a fast attack craft of the navy sustained damages due to an explosion of an LTTE suicide boat close by.

There was no immediate reaction from the rebels.

According to naval sources, Sri Lanka Navy maintains four defence barriers off the coast of Mullaithivu consisting of more than twenty-five (25) Fast Attack Craft (FACs), Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), Gun Boats, the Rapid Action Boat Squadron (RABS) and the Special Boat Squadron (SBS) to cut off the escape of LTTE cadres by sea and to prevent the unloading of warlike materials on the northeastern coast.

The sea clash has taken place at a time when the military said that the ground troops marching towards the LTTE's last bastions in the north have cornered the rebels in the jungle district of Mullaitivu and their defences were crumbling faster, despite heavy resistance.

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Sri Lanka Vows Political Resolution After Military Action

Sri Lanka: has committed to moving on to a political resolution process after the military campaign. This formed the core of
discussions between foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa during Menon's two-day visit to Colombo.

India has been holding Rajapaksa to his word that the government would implement the 13th amendment for further devolution of powers to the provinces.

Sri Lanka will also be the next venue for a meeting of Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers during the forthcoming SAARC foreign ministers' meeting in early February. India is expected to pile on a lot of diplomatic pressure on Pakistan — this time with the help of other SAARC members — to Pakistan to act against terrorists.

Sources said the post Mumbai developments were discussed at length with the Sri Lankan leadership.

The MEA spokesperson said, "The foreign secretary urged early movement towards a peacefully negotiated political settlement in the island, including in the North. He reiterated the importance of a political understanding within the framework of a united Sri Lanka, wherein all communities, including the Tamil community, live in peace and dignity."

Menon met the entire spectrum of leaders including the foreign secretary Palitha Kohona, defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and senior adviser Basil Rajapaksa all family members of the president.

The MEA said, Menon "conveyed India's concerns at the humanitarian situation in the northern part of Sri Lanka and the need to ensure the safety and security of the internally displaced civilian population."

India has already announced civilian supplies to the displaced civilians in the north. The first consignment of approximately 1700 tonnes comprising 80,000 ready-to-use family packs containing food, clothing and personal hygiene items arrived in Sri Lanka within three weeks and has already been distributed.

Menon handed over a second installment amounting to approximately SLR 40 million.

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LTTE's Iranaimadhu airstrip captured: Sri Lankan military

Colombo: Sri Lankan troops expanding their positions on the eastern flank of former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) bastion of Kilinochchi have captured yet another rebel airstrip in the Mullaitivu district, the defence ministry said on Thursday.

The defence ministry said that the army troops of 632 Brigade have found the fifth runway of the LTTE east of Iranaimadu tank adjoining the old Kandy road, which runs parallel to the A-9 Jaffna-Kandy main highway via Olumadu Wednesday.

"The runway complex is 50m wide and over 1,000m long. The runway is situated in the thick jungle with a massive bunker line and a trench line around the runway complex with mine fields and booby traps," it said Thursday, adding that clearing operations were currently underway.

The ministry said that a hanger has also been found in the complex, which had been damaged by the fleeing LTTE cadres.

This is the second LTTE airstrip to be captured within a week by the troops operating in the largely jungle district of Mullaitivu.

Last Saturday, the troops captured a 2.5 km-long runway along with two empty armoured-plated hangers, lying 10 km west of the north-eastern Mullaitivu town.

There was no immediate reaction from the LTTE, which is believed to be in possession of unknown number of Czech-built Zlin - Z-143 light wing aircraft and have carried out dozens of night air raids targeting the military installations in the past.

The last LTTE air attack was Oct 29 last year when two LTTE light-wing aircraft flew out of their hideouts in the north and dropped bombs at a power plant station at Kelaniya, Colombo and at a military base in the north-western Mannar district simultaneously.

Confident after retaking full control of the 325 km-long main highway after pushing the rebels from main strongholds along the highway such as Kilinochchi, Paranthan, Elephant Pass and Muhamalai in quick succession, the troops began to concentrate fully on mounting attacks on Mullaitivu, where the rebels maintain their last major bastion.

In an interview to the state-run television, Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa Wednesday expressed confidence of wiping out the LTTE completely and said that the Sri Lankan military had attracted the world's attention by its major victories gained in the fight against the LTTE.

Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said that the political leadership by his brother, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and correct military leadership to the armed forces were the principal reasons behind these historic victories against the LTTE.

The LTTE has been fighting against the Sri Lankan government for a quarter century to carve out a separate state for Tamils in the northern and eastern parts of the island.

Sri Lanka last week banned the LTTE with immediate effect and said that the rebel outfit would face all the consequences as a terrorist organisation.

Thousands have died since late 2005 in the escalating fight.