Lanka Army discovers underwater rebel Tamil hideout

September 29th, 2009 COLOMBO - Almost four months after eliminating the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE), the Government of Sri Lanka has commenced recruiting Tamil police officers from the northern city of Jaffna. The BBC quoted Defence Ministry officials as saying that this is the first time in 30 years that a recruitment of Tamil police personnel is taking place.

August 7th, 2009 Arrested Tamil Tiger leader in Sri LankaCOLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka's military says it is interrogating the new leader of the defeated Tamil Tiger rebels after his capture in a foreign country. Military spokesman Brig.

August 6th, 2009 Sri Lanka says new rebel leader arrestedCOLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka says that a wanted arms smuggler who recently took over as the new leader of the defeated Tamil Tiger rebels has been arrested overseas. Government information director Anusha Pelpita said that Selvarasa Pathmanathan was arrested Thursday in a foreign country which he refused to name.

July 5th, 2009 COLOMBO - A lone Tamil rebel killed a soldier in eastern Sri Lanka and injured two in a shootout marking the first military casualties after the guerrilla leadership was crushed six weeks ago, a military spokesman said Sunday. The incident took place in Kirankulam, Batticaloa, 300 km east of the capital when soldiers attempted to ambush a rebel riding a canoe in a lagoon Saturday.

May 28th, 2009 COLOMBO - DNA tests carried out on the bodies believed to be of Tamil rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and his son have matched, a military spokesman said Thursday. Army medical experts carried out the tests on the bodies of the two men killed last week in northeastern Sri Lanka, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.

May 8th, 2009 COLOMBO - The Sri Lankan troops have discovered a metal structure believed to be an underwater home for the Tamil Tiger rebels in the northeastern part of the country. 'This 360-foot-long and 25-foot-wide structure, apparently compartmentalised into three sections, has been made of strong iron, and set on iron rails, like a railway carriage.

May 4th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops have killed a senior Tamil Tiger rebel in northeastern part of the country, officials said Monday. The army said Thamilendhi was the in-charge of the LTTE's (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) heavy weaponry division.

April 22nd, 2009 COLOMBO - Refugees streamed out of the shrinking Tamil rebel-held areas again Wednesday as government troops tightened a cordon around the zone in north-eastern Sri Lanka, military spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said. Rambukwella told journalists that 81,420 civilian refugees had been counted since Monday in the Puthumathalan area, about 390 km north-east of the capital, and the exodus was continuing.

April 22nd, 2009 Sri Lanka refuses to pardon rebel leaderCOLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka's president has ruled out a pardon for the Tamil Tiger rebels' leader if he's captured alive by government soldiers now advancing into the last remaining rebel territory. A statement quotes President Mahinda Rajapaksa as saying he was ready to pardon the reclusive guerrilla leader Velupillai Prabhakaran if he had surrendered to the armed forces.

April 22nd, 2009 COLOMBO - Two top leaders of the rebel Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Ealam (LTTE) have surrendered before the Sri Lanka Army in Puthumathalam.ccording to a Times Now report, Daya Master and George surrendered before officers of the 58th Division of the Sri Lankan Army. Daya Master and George were part of the LTTE supreme V.

April 22nd, 2009 Sri Lanka says 2 rebel officials surrenderCOLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka's military says that two Tamil Tiger rebels officials have surrendered to its advancing troops in the northern war zone. Military spokesman Brig.

April 20th, 2009 Sri Lanka army: 5,000 war zone civilians rescuedCOLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The military says troops have rescued more than 5,000 civilians from the small sliver of territory in northern Sri Lanka where remaining Tamil rebels are making their last stand. The military has designated the area a "no-fire" zone to protect what the United Nations estimates are 100,000 civilians trapped there.

April 20th, 2009 Sri Lanka says 35,000 people flee rebelsCOLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka's president says the army has rescued 35,000 civilians from a sliver of territory controlled by Tamil rebels. President Mahinda Rajapaksa says the civilians were freed from an area in the north designated as a "no-fire" zone that is under rebel control.

February 5th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan Air Force jets Friday bombed 'a high-profile LTTE hideout' in northeastern Mullaitivu district where Tamil Tigers have been cornered by the advancing troops, the defence ministry said. It said that the Israeli-built Kfir and Chinese-built F-7 fighter jets 'launched precision air strikes at a high-profile LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) hideout located one km northeast of the Puthukkudiyiruppu junction'.

December 30th, 2008 COLOMBO - Government troops have taken control a strategic town in northern Sri Lanka after weeks of heavy fighting around the area as the army continues its advance into rebel-held areas, military officials said Wednesday. Paranthan a town located 385 km north of the capital, was taken by troops Wednesday evening as Mi 24 helicopters provided air support to advancing troops.