Sri Lanka’s president rules out pardon for Tamil Tiger rebel leader

October 1st, 2009 13 hurt as bomb-rigged car explodes in Sri LankaCOLOMBO, Sri Lanka — A car bomb exploded in northwest Sri Lanka on Friday and wounded 13 people, most of them schoolchildren about to travel in the van, the military said. It was the first major bomb blast reported in the country since government troops crushed the Tamil Tiger rebels in May, after a 25-year insurgency for an independent homeland.

September 18th, 2009 Sri Lanka pledges to resettle displaced civiliansCOLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka's president promised Friday to send nearly 300,000 Tamil war refugees who are being held in military-run camps back to their homes in the next four months, the government said. President Mahinda Rajapaksa made the pledge at a meeting with U.N.

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.

June 9th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lanka's parliament Tuesday extended the state of emergency in the country to deal with the "remnants" of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that was defeated in a major military offensive last month, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake said. The extension of the state of emergency by one month was supported by 102 lawmakers, mostly from the government parties, while seven MPs abstained and some others in the 225-seat parliament were not present at the time of voting.

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.

May 3rd, 2009 Sri Lanka may pardon surrendering rebel fightersCOLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka's government says it is considering an amnesty for Tamil Tiger rebels who surrender — although not for leaders of the insurgency, which is facing defeat after 25 years of civil war. Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said Sunday that officials from the attorney general's department were studying the legal basis for a possible pardon for separatists who surrender but that a final decision had not been made.

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 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.

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 22nd, 2009 COLOMBO - A senior leader of the Tamil Tiger rebels' naval wing was killed along with a few others when the troops advancing from various directions towards the fast shrinking rebel strongholds fought pitched battles with the rebels in Sri Lanka's north, the defence ministry said here Saturday. It said that the troops of the 55 Division have recovered bodies of four Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres including the body of Sindu, a senior leader of the Sea Tigers after fierce clashes south of Patikkarai in the north-eastern Mullaitivu district Friday.

February 21st, 2009 COLOMBO - A high alert was sounded in the Sri Lankan capital Friday evening after reports that Tamil Tiger aircraft could strike. All lights in the capital have been switched off, army spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.

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.

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.