Sri Lankan Army Asks Civilians to Leave Tamil Rebel-HeldThe Sri Lankan army has asked civilians in the eastern Batticaloa area held by separatist Tamil Tiger rebels to move out of villages near rebel camps as the army is planning an air raid against the rebels, a military spokesman said Thursday.Military spokesman Sanath Karunaratne said that the army has dropped leaflets in Tamil language by air urging civilians in the area to keep away from camps run by rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The army also told civilians not to visit these camps in the coming days due to the imminent air attacks against Tiger rebels. The air force has step up air attacks against Tamil rebels in recent days. The LTTE is observing their unilateral ceasefire which they extended last Thursday by another month till April 24. The LTTE rebels have been fighting since 1983 for a separate Tamil homeland in the north and east of the country. The bloody war has killed more than 60,000 people. |
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