Sri Lankan troops enter Mullaitivu town

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.

February 2nd, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops Tuesday captured the last airstrip of the Tamil Tigers at Sundarapuram in the northeastern Mullaitivu district, defence authorities here said. The Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said that troops of the 58 Division commanded by Brigadier Shavendra Silva Tuesday morning captured 'the seventh and apparently the last some 2 km long LTTE runway in the west of Sundarapuram' lying northeast of Piramatharukulam in Puthukkidiyiruppu.

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 26th, 2009 MULLAITIVU - Sri Lankan troops are busy building fresh bunkers and consolidating their newly established positions in Mullaitivu town, which they captured from the Tamil Tiger rebels Sunday after 12 years. After capturing Mullaitivu, the military nerve centre of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) the troops have begun laying what they called 'the final siege' on the rebels.

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 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 24th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops fighting their way into the areas of the Tamil Tiger rebels Sunday 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 garrison town has been completely captured by our heroic troops.

January 24th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops Sunday fought their way into the northeastern town of Mullaitivu, the last major bastion of the Tamil Tigers, a day after the rebels blasted a tank bund and flooded the land hoping to delay the military advance, the army said. Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said soldiers from the 59 Division were now 'carrying out operations inside the town area', adding that its population had fled the zone before the military entered.

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 23rd, 2009 LONDON - Tamil Tiger leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran appears to have vanished along with a fleet of at least three Czech-made Zlin 143 single-engine aircraft, a newspaper reported Saturday. The Times said that although Sri Lankan forces have captured five of the six airstrips that were used by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Prabhakaran himself may have escaped.

January 18th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops advancing towards the last bastions of the Tamil Tiger rebels in the north-eastern Mullaitivu district have stepped up attacks and captured several LTTE fortifications in the area, the military said here Monday. The military said that several LTTE hideouts in the area northwest and east of Puthukkudiyiruppu 'have reportedly fallen into army hands one after the other during late Sunday when 57, 58, 59 Division troops and the Task Force II mounted heavy and surprise attacks on them'.

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 4th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops fighting their way northwards from the recently captured former LTTE stronghold of Kilinochchi Monday entered the southern end of Elephant Pass despite resistance from the rebels, an official said here. Geared up after their latest success of capturing the politico-administrative town of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) after a decade, the troops backed by armour, artillery and aerial bombardment were poised to retake the next major landmark of Elephant Pass.

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 26th, 2008 COLOMBO - Sri Lankan jets Saturday carried bombed two locations suspected to be frequented by Tamil Tigers leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, the defence ministry said. The ministry quoted air force spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara as saying that both targets were located in the northeastern Mullaitivu district, considered the nerve centre of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).