Sri Lankan rebels set up U.S. branch

The Tamil Tigers, a terrorist organization whose suicide bombings and political assassinations have killed 4,000 people in the past two years, have quietly established a U.S. presence to help bankroll and equip its brutal secessionist campaign in Sri Lanka, authorities said.

Formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and designated as terrorists by the State Department in 1997, the group has sought for more than three decades to violently overthrow the Sri Lankan government and create an independent state for the Tamil minority.

To that end, its political wing has established "branches" in at least 12 countries, including the United States, as part of a global expansion in which the LTTE seeks to purchase millions of dollars worth of anti-aircraft weapons, automatic rifles, grenade launchers, ammunition, explosives and other military equipment, according to federal law-enforcement authorities.

That expansion has included operations in Maryland, New York and New Jersey in an effort to help raise cash and procure weapons.

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Sri Lanka's ABC radio to get back on air: official

Sri Lanka's ABC Radio network is hoping to get back on air shortly after authorities re-issued some of its licenses and frequencies, a top official said.

The network ran five radio channels which were shut down by the government over a report it broadcast about Tamil Tiger activity in the south of the island.

ABC managing director Reynor Silva said Hiru FM, Gold FM and Sooryan FM have been issued spectrum by the telecommunications regulator Monday.

Hiru is a Sinhalese language channel, Gold is English and Sooryan Tamil.

He says frequencies for Sha FM and Sun FM had not yet been issued but broadcast licenses have been issued for all its channels last month.

Silva's brother Duminda was a member of the opposition United National Party, but he crossed over after radio stations were shut down by the government.

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SLAF destroys black tiger base - Mankulam

Sri Lanka, Air Force supersonic fighter jets bombed at LTTE black tiger base located at Northwest of Mankulam this morning, (7 April).

Air force spokes person wing commander Andi Wijesoriya speaking to defence.lk said that their sorties were launched around 6.15 a.m. based on the information gathered through air surveillances and ground intelligence sources. The pilots confirm that the target was achieved accurately, he added.

Meanwhile, MI 24 helicopter gunships conducted air attack targeting LTTE bunker defences at south of Muhamalai in Jaffna around 6.30 a.m. today, (7 April).

The air attack were launched to assist ground troops who engaged in limited offensive operations in the area and to disrupt the LTTE formations, Air Force spokesperson further added.

Damages to the LTTE yet to be known.

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