allesennogwat
07-11-2007, 04:09 AM
COLOMBO - - Sri Lanka's military claimed Wednesday it had captured the last Tamil Tiger rebel stronghold in the island's east following months of fighting, as peace broker Norway tried to revive a tattered truce.
The military took control of the Thoppigala jungle base used by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) following intense air and ground attacks, the defence ministry said. It gave no further details.
"Commandos and soldiers... reached Thoppigala a few hours ago," the ministry said in a statement.
"With this victory, the troops have captured the nerve centre of the LTTE terrorists in their last stronghold in the eastern province."
There was no immediate comment from the Tigers, who since 1972 have led a campaign for an independent homeland for minority ethnic Tamils concentrated in the tropical island's north and east.
"The victorious soldiers are presently clearing enemy 'pockets' scattered in the dense jungle and are pursuing the LTTE cadres who are on the run," the defence ministry said, without giving details about the number of casualties.
"Dealing a major blow to the Tiger hierarchy in the east, those military operations bring all of eastern Sri Lanka under government control for the first time after 13 years," the army said in a separate statement.
The army had compared Thoppigala to the Tora Bora mountains in Afghanistan, as caves provided cover for the Tigers against air attacks.
The latest military claim came just one day after authorities said rebels were putting up stiff resistance and had slowed an advance. Both military and government spokesmen dismissed reports that Thoppigala would soon fall.
Military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe said the objective of the security forces was to take full control over the multi-ethnic eastern province by neutralising the LTTE, not just to take over Thoppigala.
The Tigers had used the area as their main command and control centre in the coastal eastern province, where they lost at least two key bases earlier this year.
The military claim on Thoppigala also came as peace broker Norway renewed efforts to meet with the Tigers in the north of the island in a bid to revive negotiations.
Norway's top envoy here, Hans Brattskar, was headed to the rebel political capital of Kilinochchi for talks Wednesday with the guerrilla leadership to discuss the fate of the Oslo-brokered peace process, diplomats said.
They said Brattskar's visit would also be a farewell call on the Tigers as he ends his tenure in Colombo.
Diplomats close to the peace process said his visit followed pressure on Colombo from its international financial backers to resume negotiations that broke down last October.
International donors have asked both the government and the Tamil Tigers to return to the negotiating table and salvage a 2002 truce that now only exists on paper.
Sri Lanka's 35-year-old conflict has claimed over 60,000 lives, and more than 5,000 people have been killed in fighting over the past 19 months, according to government figures.
The military took control of the Thoppigala jungle base used by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) following intense air and ground attacks, the defence ministry said. It gave no further details.
"Commandos and soldiers... reached Thoppigala a few hours ago," the ministry said in a statement.
"With this victory, the troops have captured the nerve centre of the LTTE terrorists in their last stronghold in the eastern province."
There was no immediate comment from the Tigers, who since 1972 have led a campaign for an independent homeland for minority ethnic Tamils concentrated in the tropical island's north and east.
"The victorious soldiers are presently clearing enemy 'pockets' scattered in the dense jungle and are pursuing the LTTE cadres who are on the run," the defence ministry said, without giving details about the number of casualties.
"Dealing a major blow to the Tiger hierarchy in the east, those military operations bring all of eastern Sri Lanka under government control for the first time after 13 years," the army said in a separate statement.
The army had compared Thoppigala to the Tora Bora mountains in Afghanistan, as caves provided cover for the Tigers against air attacks.
The latest military claim came just one day after authorities said rebels were putting up stiff resistance and had slowed an advance. Both military and government spokesmen dismissed reports that Thoppigala would soon fall.
Military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe said the objective of the security forces was to take full control over the multi-ethnic eastern province by neutralising the LTTE, not just to take over Thoppigala.
The Tigers had used the area as their main command and control centre in the coastal eastern province, where they lost at least two key bases earlier this year.
The military claim on Thoppigala also came as peace broker Norway renewed efforts to meet with the Tigers in the north of the island in a bid to revive negotiations.
Norway's top envoy here, Hans Brattskar, was headed to the rebel political capital of Kilinochchi for talks Wednesday with the guerrilla leadership to discuss the fate of the Oslo-brokered peace process, diplomats said.
They said Brattskar's visit would also be a farewell call on the Tigers as he ends his tenure in Colombo.
Diplomats close to the peace process said his visit followed pressure on Colombo from its international financial backers to resume negotiations that broke down last October.
International donors have asked both the government and the Tamil Tigers to return to the negotiating table and salvage a 2002 truce that now only exists on paper.
Sri Lanka's 35-year-old conflict has claimed over 60,000 lives, and more than 5,000 people have been killed in fighting over the past 19 months, according to government figures.