Tigers Prestigious One-Four Base Stormed in Five Places

TROOPS forging ahead in WELIOYA, ETHAWETUNUWEWA while giving a tough fight against the enemy this afternoon (8) mashed part of their fortified One-Four Base from several places and consolidated those positions which were about 500 - 600 metres in front of the present locations.

The fight for supremacy in the area commenced early this morning (8) and went on for about eight hours amidst heavy fire directed from both sides. The fighting claimed lives of six brave soldiers and injured eighteen more valiant soldiers. Those inflicted on seventeen Tiger terrorists and injured more than thirty-five.

They breaking of the LTTE’s prestigious so called One-Four Base in five places and capturing of those positions came as a rude shock to the terrorists who never expected the troops to creeping so soon.

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LTTE wants India's help to stop military drive

Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, engaged in fierce gun-battles with security forces in the island nation's embattled north, want India to intervene to halt the clashes between the warring sides, a leading daily here has claimed.

"As the LTTE is currently facing a series of setbacks in the (rebel stronghold of) Wanni warfront with senior LTTE military leaders killed by the security forces, the LTTE is once again seeking India's help to stop the ongoing military operations," the Daily Mirror said.

Besides, the paper claimed, "the Tigers' Political wing had initiated a campaign to pressurise the Indian central government to take action in this regard." "In order to achieve this goal the LTTE is using several channels for the purpose and mainly the pro-LTTE politicians in Tamil Nadu," the report said, adding the pro-rebel MDMK leader Vaiko had made several statements to this effect.

"Knowing that the Indian government can put pressure on the Sri Lankan government, it is learnt that the Tigers are expecting to use the opportunity to come into a Ceasefire Agreement," the paper said in an editorial yesterday.

The daily recalled that the LTTE's 'Peace Secretary' S Pulidevan had recently said the rebels would wait for the Norwegian facilitators to be granted access to Kilinochchi to further discuss issues relating to negotiations.

Meanwhile, security forces killed at least 13 guerrillas in separate attacks in the north and bombed a rebel base, the military said yesterday.

Air force fighter jets pounded a rebel base in Pooneryn late on Friday, hours after the guerrillas set off bombs in the southern suburb of Colombo and central district of Kandy, the defence ministry said.

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Parcel officers smuggling goods for LTTE -Rameswaram (India)

With security tightened in the coastal belts, persons supplying explosives and essential commodities to the LTTE are using services of parcel offices to smuggle the contraband, a top police official said on Saturday.

The items are sent by parcel to Ramanathapuram from where it would be smuggled to the militant outfit, an official of the Q-Branch, special wing dealing with militant activities, told PTI.

After interrogating three persons including a sub-inspector, the branch seized huge quantities of copper wires, rewinding machines and Nylon from a Parcel office at Paramakudi about 40 km from Ramanathapuram, meant for the LTTE, he said.

The seizure followed the arrest of the sub-inspector attached to the Armed Reserver Police, Tirunelveli, and two others in connection with the supply of country made pistols bullets and illegal fire arms to some persons, he said.

The Q branch inspector said eight bundles of copper wire, ten Baskets of Nylon Materials, a motor rewinding machine, nine bundles of special wire for rewinding mini-motors, 1000 battery cells and one lakh worth of cosmetics were seized.

This is the first time that the police have come across smuggling goods for the LTTE through regular transport parcel service, a top official said.

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Troops advance rapidly on Welioya front : Fonseka

A confident army chief Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka yesterday said his troops on the Welioya front were making rapid progress.

The 59 Division on the offensive on the Vanni East had been able to gradually turn the battle to its advantage after a series of major engagements in the general area north of Janakapura, Fonseka said.

"We have advanced almost seven kilometres into the enemy-held territory," he told The Sunday Island, expressing confidence the army could sustain the existing pressure on the LTTE.

Fielding questions, he dismissed the perception that the 59 Division was on the offensive on a thin front. "The Welioya front in 14 kilometres wide and we have enough men and material to push ahead despite resistance," he said.

Contrary to reports, the jungle terrain had been to the army’s advantage and the 59 Division had skilfully overwhelmed the enemy formations which included some of their best fighting units.

Fonseka said the enemy had cleared some jungle areas ahead of the army front line on the Welioya front as they believed it would be advantageous to confront the army in the open.

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Sri Lanka holds bus blast suspects

Sri Lanka's military says that 52 people have been arrested in connection with two bus bombings that killed 23 passengers and wounded dozens.

Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, a military spokesman, said that 51 suspected fighters were picked up on around Moratuwa, a suburb of the Sri Lankan capital Colombo where Friday's first attack took place.

Another suspect was arrested in the central district of Kandy, where the second blast killed two passengers, he said.

Sri Lankan officials have blamed the attacks on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which is fighting for a separate homeland in the north and east.

There has been no comment on the attacks from the Tamil Tigers who have been in a conflict with government forces for more than two decades.

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Nation Jointly Salutes Our Liberators on War Heroes Day

PAST MEMORIES of the ancient grandeur were recalled with respect, as beats of Ranabera (drums) rent the air when the Nation stood in silence at the dawn of Saturday (7th June), the much-revered “War Heroes Day”. The national event was exclusively meant to pay tribute to brave soldiers of the tri-services (Army, Navy & Air Force) and the Police who continue to defend their motherland at the expense of their own lives.

The D-Day is also dedicated to the memory of thousands of War Heroes who have laid their lives while in action or gone missing. This year’s main ceremony got underway at the Sri Jayawardenapura Parliament Ground this evening (7) where a special permanent War Hero monument, erected on behalf of them, was unveiled by President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

A distinguished gathering including VIPs, Prime Minister, Secretary Defence, Chief of Defence Staff, Tri-Service Commanders, Inspector General of the Police, diplomats, parliamentarians, senior military officers and invitees graced this main ceremony at Battaramulla Saturday (7) evening where a tri-service and Police parade was staged.

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