LTTE Trincomalee intelligence leader 'Bharathi' killed

The media centre for national security says that LTTE intelligence unit head in Trincomalee Bharathi and three others have been killed in an attack launched by the Navy and the Special Task Force this morning.

The attack has been carried out in Iluppukulam, in Nilaweli at around 8:30 this morning. The MCNS said that the death of Bharathi was confirmed by listening to LTTE radio transmitters.

In a subsequent search operation security forces have discovered a Micro Pistol, a Magazine, a mobile phone and a Binoculars.

Extracted from,
http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=4181

Army chief says Tamil rebels limited to pockets

Sri Lanka's Army Commander Sarath Fonseka said Saturday that his troops have been successful in limiting the Tamil Tiger rebels to pockets in the troubled Northern and Eastern provinces.

Fonseka told reporters in the central town of Kandy that his troops need to be commended.

"The LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) is now limited to a few areas specially in the east. The priority for the Army now is to help government in its resettlement program of civilians," Fonseka said.

The Army since August last year launched several offensives against the rebels in the east driving them out of some of their key strongholds such as Sampur in the district of Trincomalee and Vakarai in the Batticaloa district.

The rebels have called both losses as tactical withdrawals.

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http://english.people.com.cn/200705/27/eng20070527_378303.html

Angry Delft Islanders burn five LTTE bodies

The Delft islanders burnt the five bodies of the LTTE Sea Tigers in anger when they were washed ashore on Friday. Several Sea Tiger cadres were killed by the Navy on Thursday when they launched an attack at the Queenta Beach in Delft, sources said.

The Sea Tigers had launched the attack in the wee hours on Thursday at the Naval post at the Queenta Beach in Delft where four sailors were killed. However, the Navy with the reinforcements and the aerial support of the Air Force had repulsed the attack successfully by destroying several LTTE vessels and killing more than twenty cadres on board, the sources said.

The Sea Tigers arrived at the Queenta Beach in fifteen boats and four of them carried the suicide cadres. Most of the vessels were destroyed by the Air Force planes and the Naval gunships, the sources said.

Read more,
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2007/05/27/sec01.asp

Sri Lanka government to reopen the Hingurana sugar factory

Sri Lanka Ministry of Investment Promotion and Enterprises Development has taken steps to reopen the Hingurana sugar factory which remains closed for around ten years.

The agreement to reopen the factory renamed as Galoya Plantation Company will be signed in the first week of June, Ministry sources said.

Fifty one percent of the stakes of the Galoya Plantation Company will be owned by the government and Browns and Lanka Orix Leasing Company will own 24.5 % each.

With the commencement of production in the factory 820 persons will obtain direct employment and 4,400 families that will grow sugarcane to supply to the factory will also be benefited.

Sri Lanka currently produces only 10% of the country’s annual need of 625,000 metric tons of sugar.

Extracted from,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/May27134807SL.html

IOC to produce lubricants in Sri Lanka

India's oil major Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) on Friday secured a license to produce lubricants in Sri Lanka so as to boost its presence in the local market.

The license will enable the Lankan unit of IOC to produce, blend, market and export its 'Servo' brand of products in the island, officials said.

Lankan IOC, which commands nearly 13 per cent of the country's lubricant market, has hopes to increase its presence in the local market when its new plant goes upstream in August, they said.

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http://www.headlinesindia.com/archive_html/26May2007_42205.html