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Key LTTE sites bombed

COLOMBO: In what appears to be a concerted effort to get at LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) on Monday bombed two “prized” locations in Kilinochchi district, which houses the administrative headquarters of the Tigers.

Somewhere in the jungles of Kilinochchi, Prabhakaran is scheduled to deliver the annual “Heroes’ Day” speech on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

The speech, a ritual followed since 1986, is seen as “policy statement” of the LTTE and would be evaluated closely by diplomatic and political observers this year in the wake of the intense conflict between Sri Lanka forces and the LTTE.

Of course, the televised speech could be pre-recorded and played back at the appointed hour.

Since the death of the LTTE’s political wing chief, S.P. Thamilchelvam on November 2 in an aerial raid at a location in Kilinochchi, the Mahinda Rajapaksa government has stated that it is determined to get the LTTE leaders one by one.

A statement put out by the military said here that Air Force bombers pounded a LTTE leaders’ “rendezvous point” in Puthukudirippu around 5.20 p.m. and 10 minutes later, another identified LTTE target was raided west of Kilinochchi.

“Air strikes are carried out after targets are identified by air surveillance and reliable ground intelligence. The pilots confirmed that the targets were successfully engaged”, the military said.

There was no word about the aerial raids from the LTTE. On Sunday, the Tigers had accused the SLAF of bombing a civilian settlement in Kilinochchi district and killing six civilians in the raid.

Separately, the military said that at least five cadres of the LTTE were killed in separate incidents at Mannar and Vavuniya in clashes with troops during the day.

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