Sri Lankan military says 2 Tamil Tiger rebel officials surrender to advancing troops

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 20th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday warned the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) chief Velupillai Prabhakaran to surrender within 24 hours. Concerned over the insurgency in the island nation, Rajapaksa said that if Prabhakaran fails to do so by Tuesday afternoon, the Lankan troops will go all out for a final military assault.

April 20th, 2009 COLOMBO - Closing in on the last Tamil Tiger base, Sri Lanka Monday ordered rebel chief Velupillai Prabhakaran and his fighters to surrender by Tuesday noon or face death. 'We have issued the last and final 24-hour ultimatum to Prabhakaran and his group to surrender,' defence ministry spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters Monday.

April 6th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops Monday launched a 'decisive tactical manoeuvre' to free thousands of civilians trapped in the Mullaitivu war-zone, a day after dealing a major military blow to the Tamil Tigers by capturing their last military bastion, defence authorities said here. 'Sri Lankan security forces have launched a decisive tactical manoeuvre to free hundreds of civilians held hostage by LTTE in the thin 17 sq km coastal land strip at Mullaitivu,' the defence ministry said Monday.

March 30th, 2009 COLOMBO - At least 26 Tamil Tiger guerrillas and a Sri Lankan Navy sailor were killed, and four rebel boats were destroyed in a clash off the coast of Mullaitivu in the island nation's northeast early Monday, an official said here. The pre-dawn sea clash erupted when Sri Lankan Navy patrol boats engaged a cluster of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) boats off Chalai and Mullaitivu areas, where the rebels are now confined to a 21 sq km land stretch.

March 19th, 2009 COLOMBO - The Sri Lankan Navy has rescued a group of civilians fleeing the Tamil Tigers' last pocket in the northern Mullaittivu district, the military said Wednesday. Some 550 civilians on 31 boats were fleeing Mullaittivu's Puttumatalan area Tuesday evening, heading for the northern Jaffna peninsula when the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) sea wing tried to stop them.

February 4th, 2009 COLOMBO - The Sri Lankan military Thursday said that it has captured the last sea base of the Tamil Tiger rebels. Officials said the Tamil Tiger base in Chalai was captured by the troops of the 55 Division Thursday afternoon.

January 28th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan government troops operating in Tamil Tiger rebels' former stronghold of Mullaitivu district have found an underwater craft, defence officials said Thursday. Officials from the Ministry of Defence said that a submarine type underwater craft belonging to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was found at Muttiyankattu area in Mullaitivu district Thursday morning.

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 8th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops captured Elephant Pass, a stronghold of Tamil Tiger rebels in the northern Jaffna peninsula, government officials said Friday afternoon.

January 1st, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops had captured the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) political capital Kilinochchi, President Mahinda Rajapakse announced in an address to the nation Friday. The fall of Kilinochchi, which marks the rebels' biggest loss after the fall of the Jaffna peninsula 13 years ago, was described as an 'unparalleled victory of the entire nation' by the president, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

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.

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.