Sri Lankan government troops take control of strategic rebel town

August 2nd, 2009 COLOMBO - A senior civil administration official in the Sri Lankan government has been arrested for alleged links with the defeated Tamil Tiger rebels, police said Sunday. Nagalingam Vethanayagam, the government agent of Kilinochchi, was arrested Friday following information from an arrested Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadre, police said.

May 7th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday ruled out any possibility of a cease-fire with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE), adding that such step would be redundant as the latter would use the opportunity to rearm once again. Addressing the diplomatic community in the Sri Lankan capital, Rajapaksa said that government troops are readying for a final assault on the LTTE, which he said was trapped along with its chief V.

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 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 15th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops have resumed their offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) in the northeast, ending a 48-hour ceasefire early Wednesday. News agency reports quoted a military spokesman as saying that both sides have begun exchanging rocket and gunfire after midnight.

April 11th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops nearing the end of their campaign against Tamil Tigers have entered the no-fire zone in the north, state radio reported Saturday. Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in its main English news bulletin said the army's 58 division led by Brigadier Shavendra Silva had entered Puttumatalan no-fire zone Friday evening.

February 24th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops have entered Puthukuduyiruppu town held by Tamil Tigers, local media reported Tuesday morning. Puthukuduyiruppu was the last town held by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam guerrillas in the northern Mullaittivu district.

January 24th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops Sunday entered Mullaitivu town, the last stronghold of the Tamil Tigers, an army official said.

January 24th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops Sunday dealt a body blow to the Tamil Tigers as they overcame fierce resistance to enter the northern town of Mullaitivu, the last major rebel bastion, the army said. Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said soldiers from the 59 Division were 'carrying out operations inside the town area', adding that its population had fled the zone.

January 24th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops fighting their way into the areas of the Tamil Tiger rebels Sunday fully captured the rebels' last major bastion of Mullaitivu, dealing severe body blow to the beleaguered rebel outfit, the island nation's army chief said Sunday. 'Mullaitivu, the (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) LTTE terror hub, has been completely captured by our heroic troops.

January 24th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops Sunday entered Mullaitivu town, the last stronghold of the Tamil Tigers, despite heavy resistance, an army official said. 'Troops of the 59 Division entered Mullaitivu town area from the northern end.

January 16th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops have launched a search to nab Tamil rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, believed to be hiding inside a 35-meter deep bunker in Mullaithivu district, the state radio said Saturday. The army has entered Mullaithivu district, the last bastion of the rebels since the capture of the entire northern Jaffna peninsula and the rebel outfit's former administrative capital of Kilinochchi early this month, the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation said.

January 9th, 2009 COLOMBO - Striking another blow against the Tamil Tigers, advancing Sri Lankan troops Saturday captured a rebel airstrip in the jungle district of Mullaitivu, a day after dislodging the LTTE from the Jaffna-Kandy main highway in the north, military officials said. Claiming that this was the fourth Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) airstrip to be captured by the troops in the recent past, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the troops captured the area lying 10 km west of Mullaitivu town.

January 3rd, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops fighting their way towards the last major bastion of the Tamil Tiger rebels in the northeastern Mullaitivu district Sunday entered a strategic township ahead of Mullaitivu town after fierce clashes, defence authorities here said. Bolstered with confidence after retaking their main politico-administrative town of Kilinochchi two days ago, the troops backed by armour, artillery and aerial bombardment forced their way into Oddusuddan township.

December 23rd, 2008 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops have captured an airstrip of the Tamil Tiger rebels in the country's north, defence officials said Wednesday. The airstrip was located 15 km east of Mankulam town that was captured by Army's Task Force 3 this week.