Sri Lanka Civilians Desert Battle Zone, Offensive Begins

ZHANG:
Sri Lankan troops launch an offensive following a 48-hour window to allow people to leave the battle zone. But, the Sri Lanka government is saying that it cannot guarantee the safety of civilians being held hostage by the Tamil Tiger rebels.

STORY:
Troops heading towards a key Tamil Tiger rebel naval base attacked a defensive earth embankment built by the rebels. After hours of heavy fighting the soldiers captured the embankment and moved ahead.

The army says scores of rebels were killed and injured in the fighting.

The rebels have one of their biggest naval camps in Challai on the northeastern coast.

Troops started what they call the final offensive after ceasing operations for 48 hours. They had to allow the 250,000 civilians the UN agencies claim to have been caught up in the fighting to get out.

But the government says about 120,000 civilians are still in the war zone and alleges that the rebels are holding them as a human shield.

The expired 48-hour window was announced after the Sri Lankan president called on the rebels to allow the people to cross over to military held areas of the north for their safety.

The rebels, however, did not respond to the president's call. The army has cornered the rebels in a 300-square-kilometer area after 18 months of non-stop offensive operations.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ntd
• ntdtv
• sri lanka
• desert battle zone
• offensive
• battle zone
• troops

[seyaana]

what a crual terrorist ltte?? why try to hurt civil innocent people?

[mitoer]

i would not do that

[WatcherOfTheSkiez]

China has a dirty tie with the warcriminals in Colombo as the are suppliers of heavy weapons that killed probably 120.000 civilians as mentioned in this video!

120.000 CIVILIANS murdered by the sla in cold blood!!!!!

BOYCOTT SRI LANKA!

NO MONEY SHOULD BE PAID FOR THE MASSACRES AND GENOCIDE OF TAMILS!

[Australiantamil]

CNN BBC al jaseera leave sri lanka now. find a decent job rather than selling war. basterds.

tamils are free now

[Joblanka]

Suicide bomber strikes Sri Lanka refugee camp: military

28 minutes ago

COLOMBO (AFP) — A female suicide bomber attacked a camp for civilians fleeing the island's war zone on Monday, killing 17 people and wounding 45, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The bomber blew herself up as she was being searched by female soldiers outside the camp for people escaping the conflict between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels,

[Bunkerhunter1]

LTTE is killing their own people.