LTTE open for peace talks - Nadesan
LTTE are open to restarting peace talks with the government, despite the continuing military offensive aimed at crushing the group, LTTE political chief Balasingham Nadesan told The Associated Press.
Nadesan told The Associated Press the rebels did not believe they were facing imminent defeat.
“We have made several strategic withdrawals in order to save the lives of our people and maintain the strength of our forces. When the time and place is conducive, we will regain the land we have lost,” he said in an e-mail sent to the AP late Tuesday.
Nadesan also added that the rebels had not abandoned hopes for new peace talks.
“We have always been ready for peace talks, but the Sri Lankan government has been always insisting on a military solution,” he said.
Courtesy: Dailymirror
Counter terrorist operations intensify as LTTE face defeat at Wanni
Multi-pronged counter terrorist operations continued at the Wanni battlefront, Tuesday (Dec 30) as 59 Division, Task Force -2, TF-3 and TF-4 troops made progressive advances in the areas of concern, security sources said. Troops of the 59 Division operating in general areas South of Chilawatte, East of Kanukkeni, Kulamurippu and Vattapalai met with intermittent LTTE resistances, the sources added.
Meanwhile, TF- 2 troops operating from the Vavuniya- Mullaittivu boarder confronted with LTTE terrorists in general area North of Periyamadu on several occasions, subsequently recovering a T-56 assault riffle, magazine and a 5kg claymore mine, security sources said.
TF-3 troops also made effective advances into the non-liberated areas east of Karupaddamurippu yesterday, while separate confrontations with LTTE terrorists were reported in general area North of Admapan, at around 2.30p.m.
Also, TF -4 infantrymen observing an LTTE terrorist movement engaged small arms and mortar fire while military confirmed killing 4 terrorists in general area Oddusudan, Tuesday at 4.20 p.m.
Courtesy: Ministry of Defence
Ex-PM Hasina wins Bangladeshi elections with a clear majority
Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina Wajed won the general elections with a majority of more than 75 percent of the total seats, quoting an Election Commission official foreign media sources said Tuesday.
According to available results her party, Awani League has won 229 seats at the time of counting votes in 295 of the 299 seats.
Voter turnout was high in Monday’s election, media reports said.
Courtesy: Government Information Department
Continued clashes in Kilinochchi outskirts; TF 1 enters Nalanawakulam village
Troops of the Army 57 Division and the Task Force fighting in the outskirts of Kilinochchi had continued clashes with the terrorists in the general areas of Adampan east, Adampan south, Iranamadu west and Sinna Paranthan east on Friday (26).
Following confrontations that lasted from dawn to dusk with terrorists, troops expanded their defence line south of Adampan.
Meanwhile, troops conducting search operations in the general area east of Olumadu recovered one anti personnel mine and one 81 mm mortar bomb Friday (26) afternoon.
At the same time, troops operating in the general area of Mutaliyarkulam in Mullaittivu clashed with a group of terrorists the same day around 12.00 noon. Later, the soldiers conducted a search operation in the area and found one terrorist body and two T-56 weapons.
Meanwhile the Task force 1 troops having established positions in Sinna Paranthan that was captured on Tuesday (Dec 23 made their advance towards further east amidst terrorist fire until they overpowered all terrorist resistance and captured Nalanawakulam, about 5 km west of Paranthan, this morning ( Dec 27).
This agricultural village situated on the B-69 Poonaryn-Paranthan road and irrigated by Nalanawakulam tank was turned to an LTTE stronghold by the terrorists who mounted heavy attacks on the troops in Paranthan in1998. Since then it remained an LTTE strongpoint occupied by a large strength of terrorists.
Saturday’s fighting smashed all terrorist points in the area and inflicted heavy casualties among the terrorists. Troops have so far recovered three terrorist dead bodies and some weapons with ammunition.
Clearing operations in the area are now on.
9 civilians seek protection with security forces - Mullaittivu
9 civilians including 2 men, 3 women, a boy and 3 girls have sought protection with security forces in the recently liberated Otiyamalai area, at Welioya in Mullaittivu, Tuesday (Dec 23).
The civilians have fled from the non-liberated Mullaittivu District fearing severe reprisal from the LTTE, military sources said.
The Human Rights watch last week accused the LTTE terrorists of stepping up forced recruitment and child conscription in the non-liberated territory. These civilians are also used as human shields, the HRW further stated in the report.
“Trapped in the LTTE’s iron fist, ordinary Tamils are forcibly recruited as fighters and forced to engage in dangerous labor near the front lines,” HRW Asia Director Brad Adams was quoted saying.
“By refusing to allow people their basic rights to freedom of movement, the LTTE has trapped hundreds of thousands of civilians in a dangerous war zone,” he further said.
Courtesy: Ministry of Defence
