Tri-Aerial Attacks Take Tigers by Surprise

THREE SEPARATE AERIAL ATTACKS on key LTTE positions and movement off VIDATTALTIVE to the north of MANNAR and POONERYN, southeast of JAFFNA Thursday (3) between 12.00 noon – 3.30 p.m. caused extensive damages and losses to LTTE.

The first aerial attack at about 12.45 noon, 2 km southwest of VIDATTALTIVE was focused on a gathering of Tiger terrorist. The second one with MI-24 gun ships struck several vehicles carrying a group of Tiger terrorists for some of their clandestine operations in the area surrounding VIDATTALTIVE.

The last strike conducted by Fighter Jets at about 3.30 p.m. hit a WALLAIKADU See Tiger Base, some 15 km southwest of POONERYN, JAFFNA. The area is also known as Devil Point in the JAFFNA lagoon.

Pilots maintain all the three air strikes inflicted extensive damages to the LTTE in terms of their manpower and resources.

Extracted from,
http://www.army.lk/morenews.php?id=14312

Terrorists are retreating

Source,
http://www.itn.lk/webcast/news/20080702/news_02.wmv

JVP has become LTTE cat’s paw - Wimal

The diehard JVP leadership has become the LTTE’s unofficial cat’s paw. The party has been driven to a sorry state because certain party members have begun to work according to an agenda of some foreign powers active within the party, said the Janatha Nidahas Peramuna (JNP) President Wimal Weerawansa.

He was addressing its inaugural meeting at the Ananda Samarakoon theatre, Negegoda recently.

He said today the JVP has turned to be Ranil’s junior team. For over two years we struggled to change the direction, the party was following.

When it was found our efforts were in futile, we left the party and formed the JNP, so that we were ready to face any challenges. Party President, Wimal Weerawansa, General Secretary Nandana Gunatilleke, National Organiser Kamal Deshapriya and shttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifeveral others participated.

A large number of invitees including the members of the clergy was also present. Several artistes including Buddhadasa Vithanachchi, Lal Kularatne, Rogger Seneviratne and Cyril Enderamulla received the party membership.

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http://www.srilankanewsweb.com/news.view.php?fldNewsID=14260

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http://www.nffsrilanka.com/gallery.html

video source,
http://youtube.com/user/sinhahada

Liberation ‘Rice Bowl’!

On June 29, the Sri Lanka Army’s 58th Division liberated what is known as the ‘Mannar Rice Bowl’ which had been in the LTTE grip for 20 years.

Brigadier Shavindra de Silva said at 7:30 p.m. last evening, the 58th Brigade from Pallemadhu links with the 57th Brigade from Periyamadhu.

The total land area of the rice bowl is 120 sq.km.

Giant’s Tank and around 153 small tanks situated in this area provide water to the paddy fields in their vicinity.Nearly 20 years ago, Sri Lanka’s biggest paddy crop was harvested from this rice bowl, but all these fertile paddy fields had been covered with LTTE bunkers, landmines, sandbagged trenches and defence lines. Troops are in the process of clearing bunkers, landmines and filling trenches

Brigadier Shavindra de Silva 58th Division Commander, who commanded the operation to liberate the rice bowl area had this to say:

‘The battle to liberate the rice bowl was not a cakewalk as we had to implement an effective strategy and adopt suitable tactics, continually monitoring enemy movements.
‘The rice bowl area is an open land consisting of paddy fields and small tanks. In other words, it is terrain where a soldier has to confront the enemy in the open.

‘When the enemy fires on the soldiers there is very little cover for them because the ground is open, but our soldiers were able to overcome this disadvantage.

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http://www.thebottomline.lk/2008/07/02/defence_col.htm

Troops Continue to Ensure Security for ICRC Officials

THE TEMPORARY pull-out of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) from its service at OMANTHAI Entry/Exit point in WANNI on Tuesday (1) was mainly due to threats posed by LTTE’s indiscriminate heavy fire rounds that fall as near as the northern boundary of this cross-loading point on a regular basis and also because of intense retaliatory attacks of the Security Forces.

The Sri Lanka Air Force, in response to those attacks ordered by LTTE area leader north of OMANTHAI on Tuesday (1) evening at about 3.35 p.m. conducted an air attack, about 4 km north of OMANTHAI where there was a gathering of armed Tiger terrorists at that point of time.

On the other hand, Army troops since their launch of operations centered purely on the areas to the west of OMANTHAI, cognizant of the fact that the gateway’s traffic flow should not in anyway be hindered since it is widely used daily by hundreds of civilians/vehicles, both ways.

The ICRC officials have been very cooperative with the troops serving this access point right throughout and the troops in response have all the time given prominence to their security as well as ordinary civilians. Therefore the troops further wish to have their presence at this point in order to serve the public that crosses through it.

Extracted from,
http://www.army.lk/morenews.php?id=14294

SAARC Development Fund to be signed at Colombo summit

Leaders of the member countries of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) will sign the charter of SAARC Development Fund (SDF) at the upcoming summit in Colombo on Aug. 2-3.

Visiting SAARC Secretary General Sheel Kant Sharma said this when he met Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed of the Bangladeshi caretaker government here on Wednesday, private news agency UNB reported.

Talking about the implementation status of various decisions taken at the last SAARC summit in New Delhi in April 2007, Sheel Kant Sharma said the SDF charter and bylaws are "almost in the stage of finalization."

He also said the South Asian University in New Delhi will start operation by 2009.

The New Delhi summit last year agreed to operationalize the SAARC Development Fund and establish the South Asian University with its headquarters in India.

The SAARC secretary general, who arrived here on Tuesday, will attend SAARC ministerial meeting on climate change here on Thursday.

SAARC, the single largest platform in South Asian region having one-fourth of the world population, comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Extracted from,
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-07/03/content_8478559.htm

Sri Lankan Minister invites PM Koirala to 15th SAARC summit

Visiting Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama called on Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala at the latter’s official residence in Baluwatar on Wednesday.

The Foreign Minister invited PM Koirala to attend the 15th summit of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which is due to be held at Colombo in Sri Lanka from July 27 to August 23.

The Sri Lankan envoy also congratulated PM Koirala for the establishment of republic and the success on the peace process.

The meeting mainly dwelt on regular and new agendas, mutual support and airlines connecting the capital to Colombo.

The 15th SAARC summit will be focused on shortage of food and oil crisis and the problems of terrorism, according to Secretary at the Foreign Ministry Gyan Chandra Acharya.

Read more,
http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=152264

Government prepares arrangements to hold 15th SAARC Summit

Basic facilities are prepared by the government of Sri Lanka to hold 15th SAARC Summit in Colombo Sri Lanka. Seven countries will participate for the 15th SAARC conference, at monitoring level.

The countries are Japan, United States, European Union, China, Mauritius, Iraq and South Korea. The Australia and Myanmar have also requested to participate as monitors.

A discussion will be held to take a final decision on participation of other countries.

Minister Rohitha Bogollagama is now in Bangladesh to invite Mr. Al-Ahamed to participate the SAARC summit. The Minister also said special attention will be given in the SAARC agenda to strengthen trade and economic ties with the south Asian region and uplift the education and health sectors as well eliminating terrorism face food and energy crisis. Leader of Bangladesh told Mr. Bogollagama that he is very keen on his participation and give fullest support for the summit.

Meanwhile Indian Armed helicopters, bullet-proof vehicles and members of the highly-trained special protection group (SPG) would accompany Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when he reaches Colombo for the 15th SAARC summit in August.

Confirming this, chief of the Sri Lankan armed forces Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka said on Monday that Indian helicopters would be deployed during the meeting of the heads of states on August 2 and 3, the last two days of the summit.

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http://www.lankaeverything.com/vinews/srilanka/20080701144052.php

Sri Lankan media offers reward for tips on attackers

The Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) and the Newspaper Publishers Association are offering a reward of five million rupees for information on the assault on journalist Namal Perera.

Informants could give information that lead to the arrest of the assailants by calling 0033 147 777 414 or sending emails to helppresssrilanka@gmail.com, representatives of the organisations told a news conference Wednesday.

The informants could remain anonymous and use a code to claim the reward, they said.

Freelance journalist Namal Perera, who writes about the ethnic war and also works for the SLPI, was clubbed along with UK embassy political officer Mahendra Ratnaweera and their car smashed by a group of unidentified men in broad daylight Monday.

They were hospitalised after the assault, the latest in a string of attacks on journalists, especially defence correspondents, which drew widespread condemnation.

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http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=404633347

Wanni operation 01 july 2008

Source,
http://youtube.com/user/sinhahada

Helicopter on Logistic Mission Ground

ONE HELICOPTER on a logistic mission in connection with a state ceremony in ARUGAM BE, AMPARA had to land at a location close to ARUGAMBE Tuesday (1) around 1.30 p.m. when the pilot learnt that fuel level of the helicopter was fast receding.

The Bell 412 helicopter engaged in some logistic work in connection with the ceremony was safely landed following timely detection of the technical fault.

Investigations conducted after landing found that one fuel tank had being damaged due to gun shot.

Air Force are making investigations.

Source,
http://www.army.lk/fulsit.php?idx=989

Sri Lanka Air Force raids terror training camp - Mankulam

Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets pounded an LTTE training base located at Ampakaman area, 8 Km Northeast Mankulama junction around 6.15 this morning (July 1) .

According to Air Force spokesperson, Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara, the targeted location was a training base for the LTTE members of specialized bands such as "air tigers" and others. He said the target was engaged with 8 fighter jets and the raid was successful.

Extracted from,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080701_04

Wanni liberation enters decisive phase

The Security Forces engaged in the Wanni liberation operation, entered a decisive phase yesterday as the troops created the biggest ever military front to the LTTE in the western flank of Wanni with two Army divisions that independently operated in Mannar and Vavuniya linking together from southeast of Periyamadu yesterday afternoon.

With the successful completion of the liberation of the Mannar ‘Rice Bowl’ the troops attached to the 58 Division in Mannar made this strategic move, moving further towards North East of Mannar to link with the 57 Division troops operating South of Periyamadu.

“With the linkage of the two Divisions, infantry battalions engaged in the Wanni liberation operation created a 75 km long massive military front from the West of A-9 road in the Western flank of Wanni front,” a senior military official told the Daily News.

The troops attached to 57 and 58 Divisions have liberated 1,084 square kilometres in Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaitivu districts.

“With this move the Security Forces operating in the Mannar sector are now positioned some two and half kilometres South of Vedithalthivu,” General Officer Commanding of the 58 Division Brigadier Shavendra Silva told the Daily News.

With this move by the Security Forces LTTE cadres operating in the Vedithalthivu Sea Tiger Base have started to vacate the area as they have been convinced that they cannot hold that ground further, intelligence reports indicated yesterday.

Vedithalthivu is strongest Sea Tiger Base of the LTTE in the North Western coast of the country. The LTTE depends on it for their logistic support to the North and Wanni battle fronts.

Read more,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/07/01/sec01.asp

Out going Police Chief to become Governor of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province

Informed sources say that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had appointed outgoing Inspector General of Police Victor Perera as the Governor of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka.

He is to take over duties at his new position from July 03, the sources added.

Currently the governor of the Eastern Province, Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrema has been performing as the acting government of the Northern Province.

Extracted from,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/June30170312JV.html