Eastern Sri Lanka Recaptured From Tamil Separatists, Government Says

The government said Thursday that it has recaptured the eastern part of the country from Tamil separatist guerrillas after 10 days of bitter fighting.

In northern Sri Lanka, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, whose members are fighting for a separate state in the north and east of the teardrop-shaped island, continued their attack on the military base at Palali, 10 miles north of Jaffna, military sources said.

Fighting flared at the base when troops at the installation tried to extend their outer perimeter to secure a runway.

At least six soldiers and six Tiger rebels have been killed in the two days of clashes at the military base, the sources said.

Minister of State for Defense Ranjan Wijeratne told reporters the military is conducting “mopping up” operations in the eastern district and that the government will soon re-establish police stations there. The police stations have been a primary rebel target.

The government also will soon restore the civil administration but will continue the army presence until police control is secure, Wijeratne said at a briefing for reporters on the weekly Cabinet meeting.

An eruption of fighting in the eastern region 10 days ago triggered a major confrontation between the rebels and security forces. Authorities say nearly 700 soldiers, police, rebels and civilians have been killed.

The Tamil Tigers are demanding a separate state because they believe the country’s Tamil minority, which is predominantly Hindu, has been discriminated against for years by the Sinhalese majority, which is mostly Buddhist.