Saturday, August 04, 2007

Senior Tamil rebel leader shot dead in the north

Sri Lankan soldiers shot dead a senior Tamil Tiger leader when troops pre-empted a rebel attack on a northern defence line, the military said on Saturday.

Insurgents were preparing to attack the defence line at Nagarkovil in Jaffna peninsula on Friday but were confronted by troops, triggering a fierce gunbattle, an official at the Defence Ministry information centre said on condition of anonymity.

He said soldiers confirmed a senior rebel leader was killed in the fighting. The military did not give the rebel leader's name.

There was no immediate comment from the Tamil rebels who have fought for an independent homeland for the country's ethnic minority Tamils since 1983.

Tamils, who have suffered decades of discrimination by majority Sinhalese-controlled governments, consider Jaffna their cultural heartland.

(http://www.gulfnews.com/world/Sri_Lanka/10144235.html)

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