Sri Lankan Air Force Jets Destroy Tamil Rebel BaseSri Lankan air force jets destroyed the "Beirut" base, one of the main bases of separatist Tamil Tiger rebels in the Thoppigala jungle in the Batticaloa District east of the country on Thursday.According to air force sources, five of the air force jets have bombed and completely destroyed the base. Ten rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were killed in the air strike and all planes have returned safely to their base. Meanwhile, according to Naval Headquarters in capital Colombo, intercepts of Tiger rebel radio transmissions have revealed that 15 LTTE rebels were killed and fifteen more were injured in sea battle on Wednesday. One Israeli-built Dvora gunboat of the navy was sank by the Sea Tigers of LTTE rebels off the east coast of Mullaitivu in the battle. Five sailors were reported still missing and search operations are continuing, military source said. The LTTE began their unilateral ceasefire on Christmas Eve last year which they have extended until March 24 and asked the government to reciprocate their truce offer. However, the government has maintained that a reciprocal ceasefire is possible only after talks between the two sides make substantive progress. The LTTE rebels have been fighting against government forces since 1983 in the north and east of the country for a separate Tamil state. More than 60,000 people have been killed in the bloody war. Tamil Rebels Extend Unilateral Ceasefire for Another MonthSri Lanka's separatist Tamil Tiger Tigers extended on Thursday their unilateral ceasefire for one more month but threatened to break it if the government did not respond positively.A statement from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels said their third extension of ceasefire until April 24 would help Norwegian facilitator to broker peace in the war-torn country. The LTTE truce extension came a day after the rebels and the navy clashed in the northeastern waters leaving 20 combatants dead on both sides. "In this context we wish to warn the Sri Lankan government that we reserve the right to terminate our self-imposed truce if it refuses to de-escalate the war and continue with its armed offensive operations, including air strikes," the LTTE said in the statement. The LTTE began their unilateral ceasefire on Christmas Eve last year which they have extended until March 24 and asked the government to reciprocate their truce offer. However, the government has maintained that a reciprocal ceasefire is possible only after talks between the two sides make substantive progress. The LTTE rebels have been fighting against government forces since 1983 in the north and east of the country for a separate Tamil state. More than 60,000 people have been killed in the bloody war. |
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