Jan 26 2009
Tamil Tigers on Verge of Destruction, Says Sri Lanka
According to Sri Lanka’s army, the rebel group Tamil Tigers have been cornered in the jungle. The military claims it is clearing the last of several villages, bringing one of the longest-running civil wars to a close. Brigadier Udaya Nanyakkara reported that the rebels are making a final stand in their mini-state in the northern area of Sri Lanka.
“Presently we have confined them to 300-square kilometers. They are firing their mortars, they are firing small arms, especially operating in small pockets in forward areas,” the Brigadier reports. “We are successfully confronting them and gaining control of the area step by step.”
The United Nations has reported concern over the civilians that are trapped in the war zone, calling the situation a humanitarian crisis. Food supplies have dwindled and untold numbers have been caught in the crossfire between Sri Lanka miltary forces and the rebel Tamil Tigers led by Velupillai Prabhakaran.
The conflict began in the 19th century. The Buddhist majority imposed the Sinhalese language on the Hindu Tamils. When the English colonial government left, the conflict grew bloody, igniting into a civil war between north and south.
