Tamil Tigers attempt suicide attack on Sri Lankan troops

May 13th, 2009 SHIMLA - India is sympathetic to the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka but will have nothing to do with the Tamil Tigers, Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said Wednesday. 'Our solidarity is with the Tamil minority, the civilians, who have been victims of violence,' Sharma said amid polling for Lok Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh, his home state.

May 9th, 2009 COLOMBO - At least 49 Tamil rebels, including 14 Sea Tigers, were killed in two clashes with Sri Lankan forces, the defence ministry said Saturday. Two Sea Tiger boats, including an explosive-laden boat, were destroyed when the Sri Lankan Navy thwarted a 'desperate attempt by the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam)' to attack the well fortified naval cordon in the seas off Vellemullivaikkal around 3 a.m.

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.

May 1st, 2009 COLOMBO - At least 23 Tamil Tigers were killed when the Sri Lankan Navy destroyed their boats off the coast of northeastern Mullaitivu district, an official said Friday. Navy spokesman Mahesh Karunaratne said two rebel suicide boats and an attack craft were destroyed at around 1 a.m.

May 1st, 2009 COLOMBO - At least 23 Sea Tigers were killed and three of their boats were destroyed when the Sri Lankan Navy foiled a LTTE suicide attack on its vessels patrolling off the Mullaitivu coast in the early hours of Friday, authorities said. The authorities said that naval troops guarding the Mullaitivu sea waters engaged a cluster of Sea Tiger boats, including two explosives-laden suicide boats, when they were heading to attack the naval patrol crafts deployed in the area around 1 a.m.

April 29th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lanka Navy Wednesday said they had killed at least 25 Tamil Tigers and destroyed six of their boats in a pre-dawn attack. Navy spokesman Capt D.K.P.

April 20th, 2009 COLOMBO - At least 17 civilians were killed Monday morning in a suicide attack by the Tamil Tigers in the no fire zone (NFZ) in the island's north, the military said. The defence ministry said the attack took place when troops tried to rescue about 10,000 civilians from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the less than 20 sq km NFZ area at Puttumatalan.

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 14th, 2009 CANBERRA - Over 100 Tamil protesters converged outside the Australian prime minister's Canberra residence Tuesday and demanded that Australia play a greater role in efforts to end violence in Sri Lanka. The protesters wanted Australia to use diplomatic channels to push for a permanent cease-fire in the conflict between Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil rebels.

March 12th, 2009 COLOMBO - At least ten people were killed and 20 others, including Cabinet Minister Mahinda Wijesekara, injured in a suicide attack near a mosque here on Tuesday. According to defence ministry sources, the suicide attack by a suspected LTTE bomber occurred during a ceremony to mark Eid-e-Milad-ud-Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad, near the mosque in the Akuresha area in Matara.

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 6th, 2009 TORONTO - The Sri Lankan envoy here has created a stir by warning Canadian MPs against sympathizing with the Tamil Tigers. By sympathizing with the Tamil Tigers who had carried out many suicide bombings, the envoy said, Canadians were putting themselves at risk of terrorism.

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 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.