Sri Lanka steps up air strikes after capturing town
(NSI News Source Info) November 16, 2008: Sri Lanka has stepped up air attacks against suspected rebel targets in the island's north, a day after ground troops re-captured a highly strategic town, the defence ministry said.
Mi-24 helicopter gunships and fighter jets were deployed to pound defence lines of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the Jaffna peninsula and on the mainland, the defence ministry said.
"Sri Lanka air force has launched a series of air strikes in support of ground troops in the Muhamalai area," the ministry said in a statement.
The attacks came a day after Sri Lanka's president asked Tamil Tiger rebels to surrender after troops said they had re-taken the town of Pooneryn from the separatist guerrillas following months of heavy fighting.
President Mahinda Rajapakse said in a televised address to the nation that security forces took Pooneryn and the main north-western coastal A-32 route on Saturday morning (local time). The town was taken by troops after several failed attempts during 15 years of Tiger occupation.
Military officials said the fall of Pooneryn was a severe blow to the Tigers who are defending their main de facto capital of Kilinochchi, further south-east, amid a multi-pronged military thrust.
"Despite all their efforts, they failed in their bid to hold Pooneryn," the Sunday Times defence analyst Iqbal Athas said.
"That it was a humiliating defeat for the guerrillas came from radio intercepts from the battle field."
The fall of Pooneryn shrank Tiger territory by about half and prevented the rebels from using the north-western seaboard to smuggle weapons and other supplies by boat from neighbouring India, military officials said.
They said the bigger advantage for the military was the removal of Tiger artillery guns at Pooneryn which had been used to hit the main Palaly airbase in the Jaffna peninsula and disrupted regular military flights.
The military has not given details of losses suffered by either side in the battle for Pooneryn, but Mr Athas said both sides had suffered "very heavy casualties" in the fighting.
The Government is banking on a military victory against the Tamil Tiger rebels after pulling out of a moribund Norwegian-arranged truce in January.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Sri Lanka steps up air strikes after capturing town
Sri Lanka steps up air strikes after capturing town
(NSI News Source Info) November 16, 2008: Sri Lanka has stepped up air attacks against suspected rebel targets in the island's north, a day after ground troops re-captured a highly strategic town, the defence ministry said.
Mi-24 helicopter gunships and fighter jets were deployed to pound defence lines of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the Jaffna peninsula and on the mainland, the defence ministry said.
"Sri Lanka air force has launched a series of air strikes in support of ground troops in the Muhamalai area," the ministry said in a statement.
The attacks came a day after Sri Lanka's president asked Tamil Tiger rebels to surrender after troops said they had re-taken the town of Pooneryn from the separatist guerrillas following months of heavy fighting.
President Mahinda Rajapakse said in a televised address to the nation that security forces took Pooneryn and the main north-western coastal A-32 route on Saturday morning (local time). The town was taken by troops after several failed attempts during 15 years of Tiger occupation.
Military officials said the fall of Pooneryn was a severe blow to the Tigers who are defending their main de facto capital of Kilinochchi, further south-east, amid a multi-pronged military thrust.
"Despite all their efforts, they failed in their bid to hold Pooneryn," the Sunday Times defence analyst Iqbal Athas said.
"That it was a humiliating defeat for the guerrillas came from radio intercepts from the battle field."
The fall of Pooneryn shrank Tiger territory by about half and prevented the rebels from using the north-western seaboard to smuggle weapons and other supplies by boat from neighbouring India, military officials said.
They said the bigger advantage for the military was the removal of Tiger artillery guns at Pooneryn which had been used to hit the main Palaly airbase in the Jaffna peninsula and disrupted regular military flights.
The military has not given details of losses suffered by either side in the battle for Pooneryn, but Mr Athas said both sides had suffered "very heavy casualties" in the fighting.
The Government is banking on a military victory against the Tamil Tiger rebels after pulling out of a moribund Norwegian-arranged truce in January.
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