Troops capture 2.5km in Chalmpan- Marattikannaddi road in Mannar

Today (26) between 8.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. troops captured 2.5km in CHALMPAN - MARATTIKANNADDI road on ANDANKULAM to VEDITHALATHIEV road.

Due to the capture MANNAR to PUNAREEN supply roots of LTTE has been cut off.

Twelve LTTE terrorists were killed while no casualties reported to the Army due to the confrontations.

Extracted from,
http://www.nationalsecurity.lk/fullnews.php?id=13448

Periyamadhu falls to troops - Mannar front

The Periyamadhu village, one of the LTTE's strongholds in Mannar front, captured by the security forces personnel and troops have also gained the full control over 7Sq Km patch in Periyamadhu this afternoon, the MCNS said.

The victorious soldiers are presently conducting clearing operations to consolidate the area. Fierce gun battle took place in this area for last few weeks and despite the LTTE's resistance troops advanced into Periyamadhu village.

Earlier, on 14th of June, troops captured entire bund of the Periyamadhu tank which is about 2.5Km long. Immediately after capturing the Periyamadhu tank area troops marching towards Periyamadhu village.

The damages suffered to the enemy due to the confrontations ensued in this area are yet to be known.

Extracted from,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080626_07

Massive air strikes on LTTE positions

The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) has attacked more than 4 LTTE positions in the north during yesterday (25th) and today (26th).

The first air attack of yesterday was on a LTTE bunker line around 2km ahead of the Weli Oya forward defence line. Air Force used helicopter gunships to attack the target in this instance. Around half an hour later, SLAF bombers attacked 3 LTTE artillery positions south of Muhamalai FDL. Intelligence sources indicated that an LTTE artillery expert identified as "Iniyawan" has suffered injuries in this air raid.

Two more aerial attacks on LTTE positions in the northern front was launched today (26th) morning. Helicopter gunships attacked a small LTTE based located North of Andankulam at around 6am while bombers raided an LTTE training facility north of Vedithalaithivu. LTTE casualty details are not available as of this moment.

Extracted from,
http://defencenet.blogspot.com/2008/06/massive-air-strikes-on-ltte-positions.html

Sri Lanka says no Indian pressure to give up military action

The Sri Lankan government on Thursday refuted claims by the main left party that India had pressurized it to abandon the current military thrust against Tamil Tiger rebels.

The JVP, or the People's Liberation Front, accused the Indian government of bringing pressure on the Sri Lankan government to stop the military campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by sending a top level delegation to the island last week.

"There was no such pressure. The visit was a demonstration of the increased co-operation between the two countries," Anura Yapa, the government spokesman and the minister of Media and Information told reporters.

The unscheduled visit by Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, National Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan and Defense Secretary Sri Vijay Singh has led to many a speculation.

Yapa said both the Indian and Sri Lankan governments believe in a political solution to the island's long drawn out separatist armed conflict and the military solution was never an option.

The Sri Lankan government is currently engaged in a military campaign against the rebels who are fighting for a separate homeland for the Tamil minority in the north and east.

The military campaign so far has resulted in the rebels from being evicted from the Eastern Province and the government maintains that the rebels have now been limited to just two districts in the north.

Extracted from,
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/26/content_8445162.htm

Late Lieutenant General Parami Kulatunge Remembered

The second death anniversay one of the veteran War Heroes in contemporary times Lieutenant General Parami Kulatunge who was brutally slain by Tiger terrorists falls today (June 26).

Lieutenant General Parami Kulatunge perished along with three more Army soldiers and a civilian in an LTTE suicide bomb attack at Pannipitiya, exactly a year ago while he was being driven to his office at Colombo Army Headquarters. A sea of mourners paid their last respects to this fallen military hero who was holding the post of Deputy Chief of Staff in the Army. The barbaric slaying occurred exactly two months after a Tamil Tiger woman cadre miserably failed to claim the life of Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka.

The second year commemorative activities to invoke merits on the departed Lieutenant General commenced at his ancestral home in Lewella, Kandy with an all-night Pirith chanting performed by a group of distinguished Buddhist monks. An alms-giving follows the following day.

Lt. General ParamiKulatunge fell prey to an LTTE suicide bomber on 26 June 2006 near Pannipitiya junction, Maharagama as he was proceeding towards Colombo during morning rush hours. He was the Deputy Chief of Staff Sri Lanka Army at the time of his demise.

Extracted from,
http://www.army.lk/morenews.php?id=14144

Read more about Lt. General Parami Kulatunga,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parami_Kulatunga and
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lkawgw/parami.htm

Photos,
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lkawgw/parami.htm and
http://www.spur.asn.au/LTTE_Atrocities_20060626_Parami_Kulatunga.htm

LTTE sources explosive supply from Bengaluru -India

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is reportedly sourcing raw materials for explosives and ammunition from Bengaluru and Mumbai.

An important "commercial" consignment of chemicals that can be altered to make explosives was seized by enforcement agencies at Madurai in Tamil Nadu last month. It was dispatched from Bengaluru and was meant for delivery to the LTTE.

The consignment — 500 kg of a variety of chemicals including diphenylamine sulphates, some chlorate salts and acids — was seized minutes before it was to be off-loaded at a transit point.

"The seized chemicals can be altered to make explosives. The consignment was marked ‘commercial’ and was to be handed over to some locals and Sri Lankans, who were supposed to smuggle it to Sri Lanka. We have arrested some people and are investigating the case," said an official. Some time before this haul, Central and state enforcement agencies in Tamil Nadu had seized an illegal consignment of ball-bearings, aluminium bars and batteries that had been sourced from a wholesale dealer in Mumbai.

It was also to be shipped to Sri Lanka. An investigation revealed that it was meant for manufacturing land mines and missiles by the The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Some material for repairing boats was also part of that shipment. The investigation is in the final stages and is nearing completion. Some "military" supplies to the Tigers have also taken place from Kerala, said an intelligence official. LTTE’s sympathisers in the southern states provide logistic support for the smuggling.

Extracted from,
http://www.asianage.com/presentation/leftnavigation/news/india/ltte-sources-explosive-supply-from-bengaluru.aspx

Govt accuses LTTE of recruiting children

The secessionist organisation the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) continues to use child soldiers in its battle against the Sri Lankan armed forces, the defence ministry said on Wednesday. It added that the LTTE forcibly recruit children and teenagers to fill up their fast-depleting ranks.

Quoting defence intelligence sources, the ministry said personnel of the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) recovered three “obituary posters” giving the name, rank and unit of 150 LTTE cadres, including those of several child soldiers in the Karakakulam area in the northern part of the country. They found the posters after capturing the office of an LTTE regional leader.

The defence ministry said the pictures included “five self-styled lieutenant colonels, nine majors, fourteen captains, fifty-one lieutenants, forty-one second lieutenants and thirty others without rank.”

Read more,
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?

Suspicious powder shuts U.S. embassy in Sri Lanka

The U.S. embassy in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, was closed on Wednesday after a "suspicious powder" was found in the premises, the embassy said.

"The suspicious substance will be sent to a laboratory for analysis. Until the results are received and a determination is made that the substance does not pose health or safety risks, the embassy will be closed to the public," it said in an e-mailed statement.

The heavily-guarded embassy has thrice been closed in the past after suspicious powder was detected but on each occasion it turned out to be a false alarm.

A Sri Lankan police officer said no formal complaint had been received on Wednesday.

The consular section will remain available to provide emergency services to American citizens during the closure, the embassy statement said.

The United States supports a political solution to end Sri Lanka's 25 year civil war that has killed more than 70,000 people.

Extracted from,
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/knau/news.newsmain