பெண் புலிகளின் கொமாண்டர் கொல்லப்பட்டார்

Female Tamil Tiger Commander Killed Ahead Of SAARC

The Sri Lankan army reported that the soldiers killed a female regional leader of the Tamil Tiger rebels and three of her bodyguards during an offensive in the northern part of the island just ahead of the SAARC summit due to kick off in Colombo Friday.

Head of the women's wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Kumaveri Thangeamma, was reportedly killed during fighting in the northern region of Mullaittivu Thursday, media reports said. The Sri Lankan army has been continuing its offensive on the rebels despite the ceasefire declared by the latter ahead of the SAARC summit.

The defense ministry said that about 24 members of the LTTE were killed in the Vavuniya and Mullaittivu districts Wednesday. It was reported that a government soldier was also killed in the clashes. There has however been no comment from the rebels.

The Sri Lankan air force said that its jets bombed a rebel training facility in the Iranamadu area and destroyed it.

Security measures have been tightened in Colombo in the wake of the continuing clashes. Though the fighting is confined to the northern districts, there have been a recent string of deadly attacks on Colombo that the army has blamed on the rebels.

The Sri Lankan government has declared that it will rout out the rebels by year-end to end the 25-year civil war that the latter have been waging for a separate homeland.