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Sri Lanka troops enter rebel Tiger Political HQ
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by Sanjay Jha | January 1, 2009 at 10:29 pm
1129 views | 32 Recommendations | 18 comments
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Is there a peace in sight in Sri Lanka?. It looks imminent with the recent successes of Sri Lankan government forces. With the beginning of new year Sri Lankan Army has gained a major area of Kilinochchi, considered as the Political Hqs of the rebel Tamil Tigers.
The Tigers have been waging a long campaign for independence for Sri Lanka's minority Tamil community. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the violence since 1972, making it Asia's longest running ethnic conflict.
Sri Lankan forces have been fighting their into Tamil Tiger rebels stronghold in the island's north for last two months.
Sri Lanka's defence Secretary confirmed that Sri Lankan security forces have fought their way to the perimeter of the Tamil Tiger political capital of Kilinochchi in the island's north.
Sri Lanka's military says soldiers have entered the Tamil Tiger rebels' de facto capital Kilinochchi in the north for the first time in a decade.
Senior military officials said troops had entered the town from three sides.
On Thursday, the military said it had seized the strategically important junction of Paranthan, a crossroads north of Kilinochchi.
There has been no word from the rebels but earlier this week, they said they were successfully defending the town.
The Sri Lankan army has been advancing towards Kilinochchi for months.
Troops fighting their way towards the town have faced determined resistance for months.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (18)
at 09:31 on January 3rd, 2009
http://flickr.com/photos/hiranyamm/3069556861/
picture: "Roofless and Doomed." This has been the fate of innocent Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala populations of the North and East at the hands of Vellupillai Prabhakaran for over 25 years.
Do we let this go on? Picture was taken before the current movements of the government forces began at Pasikuda, Batticoloa in the Eastern Province which was under terrorist control for decades. East, finally has been freed and people who were chased off by the LTTE and who have fled from LTTE clutches are being resettled. Large scale infrastructure development is ongoing in these areas for the first time. Large populations of the Muslim community of the East who were chased off by LTTE have come back for the first time. This is just the beginning for them, a lot needs to be done for these people yet, but they are happy to be back home.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24929164@N06/3028239583/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hiranyamm/2787694878/
Hiranya Malwatta has contributed a photo to this story.
at 23:19 on January 1st, 2009
Did the Government not have similar successes in the past followed by failures and set backs?
at 01:00 on January 2nd, 2009
Thanks for your comment Paschen, Sri Lankan government has never been able to venture so deep in last ten years. It is first time they have been able to recapture so deep in Tamil Tiger's bastion. Also capturing Political Headquarters is big moral victory for Sri Lankan forces.
at 02:01 on January 3rd, 2009
Thank you for the reply Sanjay Jha, Lets hope peace and Justice will be with in reach for Sri Lanka and that they may be able to hold on to it as well.
at 09:24 on January 3rd, 2009
@Paschen >
From 2006 - 2008: 90% of the terrorist held areas were cleared, which has never had happened before 2006. And from the time the current offensive of government forces started in 2006, no setbacks at all.
With the fall of Kilinochchi now, LTTE is confined to a very small patch of jungle in the country, that, has never happened in the past, not even anything close to that.
at 23:26 on January 1st, 2009
I took this photo when I was passing through the HQ of Tamil Tiger in Kilinochchi a few years ago, when the LTTE was on a truce talk with Sri Lankan government brokered by Norway. It was a relatively peaceful time.
hanming_huang has contributed a photo to this story.
at 09:25 on January 3rd, 2009
@hanming_huang >
"It was a relatively peaceful time."
It looked peaceful when looking from outside, but ordinary Sri Lankan citizens like myself knew very well what was going on. LTTE prepared themself in very large scale with regards to funding, weaponry, training, child recruitments, suicide bombers, and also smuggling explosives in large scale to Colombo and suburbs during this so-called "peaceful" time period. Also LTTE assassinated most of the SL Army Intelligence unit personnel and Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar during this "peaceful" period, plus attempted to take lives of both current Army Commander and current Defence Secretary with suicide bombings.
at 09:29 on January 3rd, 2009
<moved text as reply to elsewhere>
at 09:29 on January 3rd, 2009
<moved text as reply to elsewhere>
at 05:47 on January 2nd, 2009
it is hard realty of today LTTE should accept these other wise get ready to demise
at 07:56 on January 2nd, 2009
Good story.
This could possibly be near the end of this war or it could be a return to a guerrilla war.
at 12:34 on January 2nd, 2009
I do find it interesting and disturbing how little attention this conflict receives. There are the Tigers do this story and the Government does this back. But very little on the ongoing suffering of the Tamil people.
at 12:47 on January 2nd, 2009
We Congratulate our Troops!We always bless all of you.And alll these years we stand by your side to lead Victory and also in future.And it is our duty to take care of our soldiers.We should take care of their loved ones which they left behind!We urge from all the Sri Lankans who live in Sri Lanka as well as all over the world to take care of our troops and thier family's and to stand beside them.
Even I am 10 years old and my brother 8 and a half years old but we understand how hard our soldiers fight to save our country!As chidrens we urge our adults to give thier support to our soldiers.
God bless our troops and Sri Lanka,
Sarangi and Vishal.
at 07:40 on January 3rd, 2009
i think whole LTTE movement is a waste why go in a different country and demand seperate state.Tamils already have Tamil Nadu in India why cant they live like other expatriats in Srilanka.Srillanka is not their land anyway
at 09:27 on January 3rd, 2009
@ azzayindia >
Sri Lanka is the land of Tamils as much as of the Sinhalese and the Muslims who've lived here for generations. Nobody can take that right away from them. But Tamil people are the ones who have suffered most for the past 25 years at the hands of LTTE. They abduct the little children who should be in school and should be cared for and loved by their mothers, give them a gun and teach them to hate and kill. These children have not known anything but terror, abductions, killing for 25 years in this country.
at 09:35 on January 3rd, 2009
Sri Lanka is the land of Tamils as much as of the Sinhalese and the Muslims who've lived here for generations. Nobody can take that right away from them. But Tamil people are the ones who have suffered most for the past 25 years at the hands of LTTE. They abduct the little children who should be in school and should be cared for and loved by their mothers, give them a gun and teach them to hate and kill. These children have not known anything but terror, abductions, killing for 25 years in this country.
It has got to be stopped. Peace Talks for 25 years did not achieve the desired result. Only the suffering of the people kept going on and increasing.
It is up to the intelligence of people to understand what is the truth and what are the fabricated lies. Using our brains a bit and doing a little bit of research will show anyone if there is any gain to be had by SL govt by killing innocent Tamil civilians. Tamil civilians in large numbers are escaping the LTTE and kept coming to SL govt controlled areas for the past few months now. They risk their lives doing this. Some are killed off by LTTE if caught, others come thru thick jungles and by sea and lagoons with no food.
The misery the Tamil people have been going through for 25 long years at the hands of Vellupillai Prabhakaran cannot and will not be forgotten for years to come, even after Sri Lanka becomes a country free of terrorism.
at 18:06 on January 3rd, 2009
Srilaka Govement seikora neither take the land of the Tamil land or treat Tamil people equal or as there brother or sisters. So my dear Srilankian don't get supprise they will say and Do all with help of the forigen missionland help and advice but it will not be suessfull it like catching the moon in there liturature of the singalese demens Military will be put to Shame!
at 21:04 on January 4th, 2009
First of all I congratulate Srinankan people on this victory on Tamil terrorists. You guys deserver to win by all means.
See this comment from SriLanka.
Thamil Eelam is Our Native Land since you Sinhalese came from North India go back and let us live in peace.
This is the root cause of the problem - this inferiority complex. Wherever they go, tamil (not the majority, but a lot of them who believe in bullshit Dravidian theory) people, they try to establish their own ghettos and then states and ultimately they try to claim that they want a seperate country. Exactly like they are doing in Srilanka. They tried the same thing in Malayasia, but got royally jacked by the efficient Malayasian government. Now this is happening in Srilanka too.
So funny...
Agent.