SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka's military held off air strikes against Tamil Tiger targets as tensions ease

Record ID: 341511

  • Title: SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka's military held off air strikes against Tamil Tiger targets as tensions ease
  • Date: 29th April 2006
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) GENERAL ULF ENRICSSON SAYING: "The damage was expected and there was some collateral damage because of the targets which were chosen and it was mainly military targets.Also police station and I think they aimed for the political office. Around it was civilians."
  • Embargoed: 14th May 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Sri Lanka
  • Country: Sri Lanka
  • Reuters ID: LVA4MLPP825PCVFXR4HJK8PZS1NO
  • Story Text: Sampur, in north eastern Sri Lanka was hit with air and artillery strikes by the government forces on Tuesday (April 25) and Wednesday (April 26), beginning hours after a suspected Tiger suicide bomb attack in the capital killed 11 and wounded the army commander.
    "Fifteen people were killed in the government bombings and 25 were wounded.We have not attacked because of the ceasefire, but that doesn't mean we aren't powerful enough to attack,if our leader instructs us, we will take the necessary action," S. Elilan, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) political leader in the north-eastern district of Trincomalee, told reporters.
    However the Tigers knew the attacks would be coming and had time to warn people to leave their homes.
    "The damage was expected and there was some collateral damage because of the targets which were chosen and it was mainly military targets.Also police station and I think they aimed for the political office. Around it was civilians" says head of the Sri lanka monitoring mission Swedish General Ulf Enricsson.
    The government is also reporting that things were much calmer in the last 36 hours .
    "During the last thirty six hours the security situation is calm.IN trincomalee also a tense situation was there but now it has been defused and the situation was brought under control by the security forces in Trincomalee also. The air strikes and firing at the troops by the LTTE also has ceased during the last 36 hours" says military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe.
    Aid workers say assessment missions have now moved into Tamil Tiger areas south of Trincomalee hit by bombing and shelling. The Red Cross and United Nations say that initial Tiger estimates of 40,000 displaced people appear wrong, with numbers more likely in the thousands. Aid officials say things appear to be returning to normal with people moving around.
    But for the refugees it was a terrifying experience. "I am very scared. I don't know where to go. I came here with my family in the bullock cart. I have not received any help from the government or anybody else" says A. Palalipasam, a farmer.
    Sri Lanka's main donors -- Japan, Norway, the European Union and United States -- met in Oslo to discuss the situation. The European Union is considering whether to list the LTTE as terrorists alongside al Qaeda -- a threat that diplomats say is being used as a weapon to try and bring them to talks.
    But for 40 year old P. Vasanthi the priority is get back home as soon as possible." We ran away from home when the shelling started. We are too scared to stay at home when there is bombing and shelling.We want to go back home but we can only do that if the selling stops" she says.
    The Tigers, whose two-decade fight killed more than 64,000 people on both sides, deny recent attacks on the military, including the suicide bombing. International pressure is helping to keep Colombo in check.

    CIVIL WAR
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