The government of Sri Lanka has announced that its solders have succeeded in capturing an important town from the grasp of the Tamil Tigers in the north of the country. It also said that the clash between the two parties have left 34 rebels killed. The statement posted by the Media Centre for National Security on their website read that the Sri Lankan soldiers, despite facing serious challenge from the LTTE, captured Palampiddi Junction located in the north’s Mannar district on May 17.  

 

The Ministry of Defence in Sri Lanka has stated that their soldiers crushed a strong resistance put up by the LTTE in the northern region of the country and that 13 bodies of dead LTTE cadres were recovered in search operation conducted thereafter. The US, EU as well as India have labeled the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist outfit as they have been waging war for the creation of a separate homeland in the north and east of Sri Lanka the past 25 years.

 

The insurgency has left more than 70,000 people dead. The military in Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has been engaging into almost daily clashes with the rebel group to maintain peace in the country. The LTTE is estimated to have over 7,000 rebel members in the north, which is the sole zone left in their possession after it lost the east zone during July.