LTTE Annihilated in Sri Lanka

Lanka captures last LTTE bastion, 420 rebels killed

Colombo: Moving closer to ‘annihilating’ the LTTE, Sri Lankan troops captured their last stronghold of Pudukudiriyirippu and pushed the rebels into a narrow 'no-fire zone' packed with civilians after killing at least 420 Tamil Tigers in heavy fighting in the north.

LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran, second-in-command Pottu Amman and other senior commanders of the guerrillas are believed to be holed up in the 20 sq-km safety zone, the military said today and accused the rebels of using the tens of thousands civilians as ‘human shields’.

The Army has captured the entire Pudukudiriyirippu area that was under the control of the Tamil Tigers, who have lost many of their key leaders in the latest fighting, military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said. Bodies of 420 rebels killed in intense clashes with advancing troops in the past three days have been recovered from the war zone, he added.

"Prabhakaran is in the 20 sq-km no-fire zone after army captured the remaining one sq-km LTTE area in Pudukudiyirippu.

He will be caught dead or alive. It will be easier to detect him amongst the people because of his heavy size," a top Defence Ministry official told PTI.

Military sources said a number of senior LTTE leaders, including Theepan, Ruben, Nagesh, Gadaphi (a former bodyguard of Prabakaran), Vidusha (head of 'Malathi' female wing), Durga (head of 'Soothiya' female wing) and Kamalini were killed in fighting since last night.

India should treat us as an 'ally': Nadesan

On the verge of defeat at the hands of the Sri Lankan forces, the LTTE appealed to India to treat them as their ‘ally’.

Tamil Tigers' political head B Nadesan said the Tigers were disappointed with India's attitude towards them and New Delhi should not consider the LTTE as an enemy.

"We are not enemies of India or Indian interests. India should look at us as an ally. We are disappointed with India's attitude towards us," Nadesan told a TV channel.

Conceding that the rebels have lost 4,000 of their cadres in the last two years of fighting, Nadesan also claimed that the rebels have killed over 20,000 Sri Lankan soldiers over the period.

"Speaking in military jargon, during the last two years of fighting more than 20,000 Sri Lankan troops have been killed. We have also lost around 4,000 of our fighters," Nadesan told the channel.

He said the LTTE supremo V Prabhakaran was in "excellent health and leading our freedom struggle".

I am sorry for the Tamil people living is Sri Lanka.
But I have no sympathy for the LTTE.
Rajiv Gandhi, the poor man, went out of his way to solve their problem.
He got a very good agreement with President Jaywardane which did not please the local Sinhalese population who accused Jaywardane of sell-off.
The LTTE was asked to share power with the other Tamil parties but the LTTE wanted the whole cake for themselves. They went berserk and killed the other Tamil leaders in Sri Lanka.
Rajiv Gandhi had to withdraw the IPKF in shame and IPKF was jeered by all the Tamil parties in India.
Rajiv Gandhi lost his life to an LTTE female human bomber in Tamil Nadu.
Yes, I am pleased that the LTTE is being wiped out.
Now the Tamillian population in Sri Lanja can live in peace.
It proves Rajiv Gandhi was right
How dare Mr Nadesan now ask for help from India after killing our Prime Minister?

Radheshyam