2 killed, 9 injured in hand grenade explosion - Wellawatta

According to the latest report received said that 2 civilians were killed while another 9 suffered injuries exploding a hand grenade shot while ago in Wellawatta today, May 31.

Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said that the explosion took place near a bus halt along the Colombo-Galle main road, opposite the Arpico super market in Wellawatta.

The victims were rushed to the Kalubowila teaching hospital for immediate medical attention.

Extracted from,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080531_07

Reggie Ranatunga passes away

Reggie Ranatunga, veteran Sri Lankan politician and father of world cup winning cricket team captain Arjuna Ranatunga, died here on Saturday morning following a pro-longed illness.

Reggie Ranatunga, who was in his seventies, died at a private hospital here. He was ailing for some time.

The septuagenarian leader was sworn in as a parliament member for the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance to fill the seat left vacant by death of fellow parliamentarian Sripathy Sooriyarachchi.

Earlier, he served as the governor of Sabaragamuwa Province in South-western Sri Lanka.

His son Arjuna Ranatunga guided the island's cricket team to a world cup win in 1996 and is currently holding the post of Chairman of Sri Lankan Cricket.

Extracted from,
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1167641

Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels turning more violent amid gov't offensive, official says

Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels are becoming more violent as they suffer setbacks because of a new government offensive, a top official from the war-torn South Asian nation said Saturday.

Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona said the Tigers have shown no interest in negotiating for permanent peace to end 25 years of separatist violence on the island nation off southern India.

On the contrary, there is a "continuing focus on their part to resort to violence and terrorism" — evident from recent deadly train and bus bombings — Kohona told reporters on the sidelines of a regional security conference in Singapore.

"It looks like they are absolutely committed to terrorism and nothing else. Maybe because in the battlefield they have been pushed back methodically by the government and their only response is to blow up civilians," Kohona said.

Public affairs personnel for the Tamil Tigers were not immediately available for comment.

Read more,
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/31/

Five suicide jackets found; suspect detained - Chilaw

Police acting on an information received from intelligence sources found 5 jackets designed for the LTTE suicide bombers from Maina Doopatha (an islet) in the Chilaw area this evening (May 30). According to the police sources, only four out of the five jackets were filled with high explosives.

Police said the jackets were unearthed from a location close to an abandoned Hindu Temple around 6.30 pm. A person was also detained for further inquiries, the sources added.

LTTE is the terror outfit that pioneered the suicide terrorism and introduced recruitment, brainwashing, and technical expertise for suicide bombing to the terrorist organizations in the world over. It has carried out over 200 suicide attacks killing hundreds of people during its two and half decades of terrorist war against Sri Lankan citizens.

Extracted from,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080530_10

Civil Defence Force soldier and two civilians shot dead by Tiger terrorists

A Civil and his fifty (50) year old wife and a Civil Defence Force soldier was shot dead by Tiger terrorists on Friday(30) in the night around 8.45 in RAJANGANE area, Block 18, ANURADHAPURA.

Extracted from,
http://www.nationalsecurity.lk/

LTTE artillery, mortar launching pads bombed: Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Friday claimed that its fighter jets have bombed 'artillery and mortar launching platforms' of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at Kalmunai point in the northern district of Jaffna.

'Two separate sorties were launched around 12 noon and 1.20 p.m. The targets were accurately hit, but the exact damages to the enemy are yet to be ascertained,' the defence ministry said.

The ministry said, 'The LTTE rebels used the targeted locations to launch artillery attacks on Tamil villages in the peninsula Thursday that killed six civilians including two children and left 20 others wounded.'

The air raids came exactly a day after the pre-dawn sea-borne attack by the Tamil rebels on a naval detachment in an islet in the northern Jaffna peninsula.

Read more,
http://www.indiaenews.com/srilanka/20080530/121824.htm

‘Mihin’ to fly again , Plan to work with SriLankan

The Government’s Budget Carrier Mihin Lanka (Pvt. Ltd.), grounded for nearly two months for want of an aircraft, will commence operations in July with an A-320 aircraft obtained on a dry lease from a French Company. The monthly rent would be US $ 347,000, according to the company’s former CEO Sajin de Vas Gunwardena.

Gunwardena resigned as CEO of Mihin Lanka on Thursday but told a news conference at the BMICH that he would continue to serve as a Director.

Asked to comment on the future of the airline, Gunawardena was not optimistic. "No doubt, its an uphill task. We will map out a joint commercial strategy with the national carrier Sri Lankan by pooling our resources and that should make it viable," he said.

Gunawardena said that SriLankan and Mihin Air could exchange passengers on selected destinations that could result in the cabin factor increasing upto between 80 and 90 per cent.

He blamed the Sri Lankan-Emirates joint management for failing to cooperate with Mihin and trying to undermine it. "They were totally opposed to the advent of Mihin. When we asked for two of their aircraft on a wet lease they opposed it," he said.

Read more,
http://www.island.lk/2008/05/31/news1.html