A Sri Lankan Police Special Task Force (STF) Commando gestures during a tactical operations demonstration at a passing out parade in Katukurunda, some 43kms south of Colombo, 28 December 2006. Some 313 recruits concluded their STF training at the training centre in Kalutara. The nucleus of the STF the para-military arm of the country's police force was formed in 1983, drawing on policemen already in service and having them trained by the Army in the handling of infantry weapons and given basic training in "jungle operations", and who are deployed essentially for counter terrorist and counter insurgency operations within the country and also undertake close protection duties.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
A Police Special Task Force (STF) Commando gestures during a tactical operations demonstration
A Sri Lankan Police Special Task Force (STF) Commando gestures during a tactical operations demonstration at a passing out parade in Katukurunda, some 43kms south of Colombo, 28 December 2006. Some 313 recruits concluded their STF training at the training centre in Kalutara. The nucleus of the STF the para-military arm of the country's police force was formed in 1983, drawing on policemen already in service and having them trained by the Army in the handling of infantry weapons and given basic training in "jungle operations", and who are deployed essentially for counter terrorist and counter insurgency operations within the country and also undertake close protection duties.
Special Task Force Commandos travel by military jeep in Ampara
Special Task Force soldiers travel by military jeep in Ampara, Sri Lanka January 1, 2007. A soldier was killed and another two were injured when suspected Tamil rebels detonated a claymore mine targeting security forces personnel, the defence ministry said. REUTERS/Stringer (SRI LANKA)
STF captures another Tiger camp: military
The Special Task Force yesterday captured another LTTE camp in Kanchikudichchiaru in Ampara killing at least 4 rebel cadres and recovering several boats and tents donated by two world organisations, the military spokesman said.
Two STF personnel were injured in the battle.
“Elite forces personnel recovered boats and tents donated by Save the Children and UNHCR from the newly captured LTTE 'Janaka' base in Kanchikudichcharu,” spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe claimed.
He said the two boats had ‘Save the Children’ marked on them and believed the LTTE had been forcibly taking over tsunami aid donated by NGOs to affected people.
The troops also captured a large factory inside the ‘Janaka’ camp where uniforms were stitched for LTTE cadres, he said.
The military spokesman said several military items including weapons and ammunition, motor cycles and other vehicles had also been recovered from within the camp.
Among the other items recovered were a generator (15 Kw), 10 sewing machines, one Global Positioning System (GPS), STF uniforms, one roll of STF camouflage material, a stock of Army Ranaviru apparel camouflage material, one night vision sniper rifle, one monocular night vision device and a light machine gun (LMG).
The STF gained control of seven sub-camps of the Tigers in the vicinity of the newly overrun ‘Janaka’ camp and confirmed that one of the camps captured was meant for female cadres.
LTTE cadres had launched mortar attacks from the ‘Janaka’ camp at STF personnel deployed around the ‘Stanley Base’ which fell to the forces on Monday.
A fully equipped hospital known as ‘Thileepan’ situated inside the Stanley Base was discovered.
The military claimed the ‘Thileepan’ hospital had been built by a Netherlands based NGO identified as ZOA. The NGO had also built some 500 houses utilising tsunami aid to LTTE mahaveera families in the Kanchikudichicharu forest area.
(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/01/12/front/04.asp)
Rebel's camp captured in Sri Lanka's east
Sri Lanka's elite police captured a major camp of the Tamil Tiger rebels in the east on Thursday and killed at least four rebels in the action, said the military.
The Special Task Force (STF) of the police seized the Janak camp of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Ampara district in the morning and two STF personnel were injured in the confrontation, said the Media Center for National Security in a statement.
According to the statement, the Janak camp is situated west of the recently overrun Stanly base, the LTTE's biggest camp in the Ampara district.
"The capture of LTTE's Stanly and the Janak camps is a strategic step forward in eliminating the terrorist threat on security forces camps in the east," said the statement.
The STF said a large factory where uniforms were stitched for LTTE cadres had been situated inside the Janak camp. Mortar cycles and other vehicles had also been recovered from within the camp.
Sri Lanka's Army Chief Sarath Fonseka said earlier that the military was determined to liberate the east from the LTTE and later focus on the north.
Conflict between the government troops and the LTTE has been escalating since December 2005, with more than 3800 people being killed.
The Norwegian backed peace process and the truce agreement signed between the two parties in 2002 are currently stalled as a result of the violence.
(http://english.people.com.cn/200701/11/print20070111_340346.html)
The Special Task Force (STF) of the police seized the Janak camp of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Ampara district in the morning and two STF personnel were injured in the confrontation, said the Media Center for National Security in a statement.
According to the statement, the Janak camp is situated west of the recently overrun Stanly base, the LTTE's biggest camp in the Ampara district.
"The capture of LTTE's Stanly and the Janak camps is a strategic step forward in eliminating the terrorist threat on security forces camps in the east," said the statement.
The STF said a large factory where uniforms were stitched for LTTE cadres had been situated inside the Janak camp. Mortar cycles and other vehicles had also been recovered from within the camp.
Sri Lanka's Army Chief Sarath Fonseka said earlier that the military was determined to liberate the east from the LTTE and later focus on the north.
Conflict between the government troops and the LTTE has been escalating since December 2005, with more than 3800 people being killed.
The Norwegian backed peace process and the truce agreement signed between the two parties in 2002 are currently stalled as a result of the violence.
(http://english.people.com.cn/200701/11/print20070111_340346.html)
STF captures another Tiger camp with a garment factory in Eastern Sri Lanka
Elite Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) captured another LTTE camp in Kanchijudichcharu in the Ampara district killing at least four Tiger terrorists this morning, military said.
They said that STF personnel who captured LTTE’s Ampara district main camp known as Stanley Base in Kanchijudichcharu last Monday (08), captured the ‘Janaka’ camp, situated west of the Stanley Base.
LTTE cadres had launched mortar attacks from the 'Janaka' camp at STF personnel deployed around the Stanley Base.
According to the STF, a large factory where uniforms were stitched for LTTE cadres had been situated inside the Janaka camp. Motorcycles and other vehicles had also been recovered from the camp.
(http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/January11125043JV.html)
Another major Tiger camp captured by Rafik Jalaldeen
AMPARA: The Special Task Force captured another LTTE camp "Janak" and six other camps in Kanchjudichcharu, Ampara last morning, killing four LTTE cadres in a retaliatory attack.
Two STF personnel sustained minor injuries, Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said.
The LTTE cadres fired mortars from the "Janak" camp at STF personnel deployed around the "Stanley Base" which was captured by the STF on Monday, the Brigadier told the Daily News.
He said the Stanley Camp was the largest camp of the LTTE in the Ampara district. The "Janak" camp was west of the "Stanley" camp.
The capture of "Stanley and "Janak" camps was a strategic victory that would eliminate the terrorist threat posed to Security Forces camps in the East, he added.
The "Janak camp' doubled as a large factory where LTTE uniforms were being tailored. "The STF personnel also recovered a haul of weapons, motorcycles and other vehicles from the "Janak" camp," Brigadier Samarasinghe said.
According to the Media Centre for National Security, three LTTE cadres surrendered at the Mavedivembu Army road block yesterday morning claiming they were subjected to extreme cruelty by the Tigers.
The surrendees are Vijayakumar (23), K. Sadeeshwaran (17) and Rojan (18). "They were abducted by the LTTE and forcefully taken to an LTTE camp in Karadiyanaru for military training," MCNS sources added.
(http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/01/12/sec01.asp)
Rebel's camp captured in Sri Lanka's east
COLOMBO, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's elite police captured a major camp of the Tamil Tiger rebels in the east on Thursday and killed at least four rebels in the action, said the military.
The Special Task Force (STF) of the police seized the Janak camp of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Ampara district in the morning and two STF personnel were injured in the confrontation, said the Media Center for National Security in a statement.
According to the statement, the Janak camp is situated west of the recently overrun Stanly base, the LTTE's biggest camp in the Ampara district.
"The capture of LTTE's Stanly and the Janak camps is a strategic step forward in eliminating the terrorist threat on security forces camps in the east," said the statement.
The STF said a large factory where uniforms were stitched for LTTE cadres had been situated inside the Janak camp. Mortar cycles and other vehicles had also been recovered from within the camp.
Sri Lanka's Army Chief Sarath Fonseka said earlier that the military was determined to liberate the east from the LTTE and later focus on the north.
Conflict between the government troops and the LTTE has been escalating since December 2005, with more than 3800 people being killed.
The Norwegian backed peace process and the truce agreement signed between the two parties in 2002 are currently stalled as a result of the violence.
(http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-01/11/content_5594701.htm)
Sri Lanka probes aid groups for suspected rebel links By Simon Gardner
COLOMBO, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka is investigating a number of foreign and local aid groups it suspects may be helping Tamil Tiger rebels, and may banish a Dutch organisation from the island, a top defence official said on Thursday.
The military said this week it had found equipment belonging to Netherlands-based ZOA Refugee Care at a rebel base overrun by the military in the eastern district of Ampara.
ZOA, whose projects are focused on helping refugees in Sri Lanka's restive east, said that any recovered equipment with their logo must have been stolen.
Defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said if found guilty, offending groups would be expelled from the country. He did not name other groups under investigation.
"We found an NGO fully and totally involved in running a hospital at Stanley Base. It is ZOA," Rambukwella said by telephone.
"Certain NGOs are acting against the normal law of the land and have got involved with subversives. Some have stooped down to assisting the terrorists.
"Once investigations are over and we have 100 percent confirmation of what we suspect ... we will have to take steps to have their visas cancelled or have them leave," he added, referring to ZOA.
ZOA's general affairs manager, Anslem Mudiatta, said: "The allegation is of course groundless.
"We ... closed our office because of fighting and had to leave so many things behind we couldn't carry with us," he added. "Certain things they say were found in that LTTE (Tiger) hospital are things we presume were taken from our office."
The conflict has forced many aid groups to shelve or abandon projects in conflict-affected parts of the north and east, where aid workers say both the military and the rebels are hampering access to civilians trapped in the crossfire.
In a separate incident on Thursday, elite police commandos overran another Tiger camp in Ampara and found two boats donated by Save the Children and two tents emblazoned with the UN refugee agency UNHCR's logo, officials said.
But they said it was clear that, in this case, the aid had been stolen from civilians it was donated to. Neither aid group is being investigated, the officials said.
WITCH-HUNT
Some aid workers fear the government is mounting a witch-hunt against aid groups to appease hardline nationalists who seek to blame the international community for the ravages of the island's ethnic conflict.
The European Commission on Wednesday endorsed the work of ZOA along with U.N. agencies and the Red Cross, and called for greater access to help conflict-displaced civilians.
"It's totally clear that ZOA are not helping the Tigers at all," said Jeevan Thiagarajah, head of the Consortium for Humanitarian Agencies, the main umbrella body for aid agencies in the country. "I think it's a pure and simple misunderstanding."
More than 67,000 civilians, troops and rebel fighters have been killed in the conflict since 1983.
(http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=COL227596&WTmodLoc=World-C4-Crisis-1)
The military said this week it had found equipment belonging to Netherlands-based ZOA Refugee Care at a rebel base overrun by the military in the eastern district of Ampara.
ZOA, whose projects are focused on helping refugees in Sri Lanka's restive east, said that any recovered equipment with their logo must have been stolen.
Defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said if found guilty, offending groups would be expelled from the country. He did not name other groups under investigation.
"We found an NGO fully and totally involved in running a hospital at Stanley Base. It is ZOA," Rambukwella said by telephone.
"Certain NGOs are acting against the normal law of the land and have got involved with subversives. Some have stooped down to assisting the terrorists.
"Once investigations are over and we have 100 percent confirmation of what we suspect ... we will have to take steps to have their visas cancelled or have them leave," he added, referring to ZOA.
ZOA's general affairs manager, Anslem Mudiatta, said: "The allegation is of course groundless.
"We ... closed our office because of fighting and had to leave so many things behind we couldn't carry with us," he added. "Certain things they say were found in that LTTE (Tiger) hospital are things we presume were taken from our office."
The conflict has forced many aid groups to shelve or abandon projects in conflict-affected parts of the north and east, where aid workers say both the military and the rebels are hampering access to civilians trapped in the crossfire.
In a separate incident on Thursday, elite police commandos overran another Tiger camp in Ampara and found two boats donated by Save the Children and two tents emblazoned with the UN refugee agency UNHCR's logo, officials said.
But they said it was clear that, in this case, the aid had been stolen from civilians it was donated to. Neither aid group is being investigated, the officials said.
WITCH-HUNT
Some aid workers fear the government is mounting a witch-hunt against aid groups to appease hardline nationalists who seek to blame the international community for the ravages of the island's ethnic conflict.
The European Commission on Wednesday endorsed the work of ZOA along with U.N. agencies and the Red Cross, and called for greater access to help conflict-displaced civilians.
"It's totally clear that ZOA are not helping the Tigers at all," said Jeevan Thiagarajah, head of the Consortium for Humanitarian Agencies, the main umbrella body for aid agencies in the country. "I think it's a pure and simple misunderstanding."
More than 67,000 civilians, troops and rebel fighters have been killed in the conflict since 1983.
(http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=COL227596&WTmodLoc=World-C4-Crisis-1)
Elite cops capture LTTE's 'JANAK' camp
The Special Task Force (STF) captured another LTTE camp known as 'JANAK' in KANCHIJUDICHCHARU in the AMPARA district killing at least 4 tiger terrorists this morning (11)
LTTE cadres had launched mortar attacks from the 'JANAK' camp at STF personnel deployed around the 'STANLY' base captured by the Special Task Force last Monday (08).The newly overrun 'JANAK' camp is situated west of 'STANLY' base. The 'STANLY' base was the LTTE's biggest camp situated in the AMPARA district. The capture of LTTE's 'STANLY' and the 'JANAK' camps is a strategic step forward in eliminating the terrorist threat on security forces camps in the East.
According to the STF, a large factory where uniforms were stitched for LTTE cadres had been situated inside the 'JANAK' camp. Mortar cycles and other vehicles had also been recovered from within the camp.
Two STF personnel sustained injuries in the confrontation.
More details will follow.
(http://www.nationalsecurity.lk/fullnews.php?id=3415)
Elite cops capture Terror base "Janak"- Kangikadaichi Aru
Sri Lanka Police Special Task Force (STF) personnel captured another LTTE base named "Janak" located at Kangikadaichi Aru in Ampara this afternoon (Thursday the 11th of January).
The Defence sources in the East told defence.lk that the newly captured LTTE camp is located west of the earlier captured 'Stanley base" deep inside the Kangikadaichi Aru jungle.
The STF personnel marching ahead in their operation "Definite Victory" had to cross a terrain full of booby traps and anti personnel mines until they were ambushed by the LTTE terrorists around 11.a.m today. The STF personnel effectively retaliated to the attack forcing the terrorists to withdraw further into the jungle.
Following the attack the STF troops found four bodies of slain LTTE cadres. Two STF personnel sustained injuries and were directed to the immediate medical attention.
Having repulsed the attack the STF troops further advanced westward and came cross an LTTE base which had been abandoned by the terrorists in the face of STF retaliation.
The captured camp has been later identified as the "Janak" base which was used by the LTTE to station their heavy mortar guns and carried out shelling at Thirukkovil and Kangikadaichi Aru STF camps during last few months.
Three motor bikes, an electric generator, a Global Positioning System device and a fully equipped sewing centre have also been found inside the captured base. The STF troops are presently consolidating their defences in the area.
The Following are the list of items recovered by the STF in the above attack :
| 1. | Trail mortar cycles | 03 (Yamaha125 01/Yamaha250 02) |
| 2. | Generators | 01 (15 Kw) |
| 3. | Sewing machines | 10 |
| 4. | GPS ( Global Positioning System) | 01 |
| 5. | STF uniforms and self dressing | |
| 6. | STF camouflage material | 01 roll |
| 7. | A stock of Army Ranaviru apparel camouflage material | |
| 8. | Boats | 02 marked 'SAVED THE CHILDREN' |
| 9. | Tents | 02 with UNHCR mark on them |
| 10. | Night vision sniper rifle | 01 |
| 11. | Monocular night vision | 01 |
| 12. | Light machine gun (LMG) | 01 |
INGO Tsunami Aid Found in Newly Captured LTTE's 'JANAK' Camp
The Special Task Force (STF) recovered boats and tents donated by two international Non Governmental Organizations (NGO), SAVE THE CHILDREN and UNHCR from the newly captured LTTE 'JANAK' base in KANDIKUDICHCHIARU in the AMPARA district today (11). The two boats had 'SAVE THE CHILDREN' marked on them. The LTTE has been forcibly taking over tsunami aid donated to affected people by NGOs.
The following were recovered from the 'JANAK' base:
| 1. | Trail mortar cycles | 03 (Yamaha125 01/Yamaha250 02) | |
| 2. | Generators | 01 (15 Kw) | |
| 3. | Sewing machines | 10 | |
| 4. | GPS ( Global Positioning System) | 01 | |
| 5. | STF uniforms and self dressing | ||
| 6. | STF camouflage material | 01 roll | |
| 7. | A stock of Army Ranaviru apparel camouflage material | ||
| 8. | Boats | 02 marked 'SAVED THE CHILDREN' | |
| 9. | Tents | 02 with UNHCR mark on them | |
| 10. | Night vision sniper rifle | 01 | |
| 11. | Monocular night vision | 01 | |
| 12. | Light machine gun (LMG) | 01 | |
A fully equipped hospital known as 'THILIPPAN' which was also situated inside the STANLY base was seized by the STF last Monday (08). The 'THILIPPAN' hospital had been built by a NGO called ZOA. The same NGO has build around 500 houses under tsunami aid to LTTE mahaveera families in the KANCHIKUDICHCHIARU forest area.
(http://www.nationalsecurity.lk/fullnews.php?id=3421)
Elite cops continues rescuing east from Tiger stronghold
The Police Special Task Force (STF) has taken the control of another key camp of the LTTE in the east. This morning (11) the STF took over the control of the “Janak’ camp situated west of the earlier captured ‘Stanley camp” in Kanchikudichcharu in the Ampara district, Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) says.
The LTTE, loosing their stronger base have started firing mortar attacks at the STF troops located around the Stanley camp, basing themselves at the Janak camp. Hence, the STF was compelled to take the control of the camp as a defensive measure.
According to the information received by the MCNS, on recovery the STF personnel have found a considerable stock of STF like uniforms and another stock of STF camouflage cloths and Army camouflage cloths and ten sewing machines – indicating the presence of a LTTE apparel factory.
In addition, the stock includes a sniper with night vision, a single eye night vision sniper, one HK LMG and a ‘Gamin’ Global Positioning System. Three trail bikes, one 15KVA Generator were also in the list of items recovered.
Two boats with name and logo of the Non Governmental Organisation ‘Save the Children’ and two tents with the logo of UNHCR were also recovered from the site.
The Stanley base is the biggest camp in the Eastern parts. The loss of Stanley base and the Janak camp is a huge draw back of the Tigers stronghold in the Eastern province, security sources state.
Four Tiger terrorists were killed during the retaliations. Two STF personnel have sustained injuries in the confrontation.
‘Stanley camp’ in Kanchikudichcharu was the main centre used by the LTTE to continuously carry out attacks on the security forces positioned in the area and the STF took over the control on 8th January, Monday. In addition this was also the main centre to train the forcibly recruited children by the LTTE and it had housed a large number of child soldiers.
(http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1494&Itemid=44)
Sri Lanka: INGO tsunami aid found in newly captured LTTE's 'JANAK' camp
The Special Task Force (STF) recovered boats and tents donated by two international Non Governmental Organizations (NGO), SAVE THE CHILDREN and UNHCR from the newly captured LTTE 'JANAK' base in KANDIKUDICHCHIARU in the AMPARA district today (11). The two boats had 'SAVE THE CHILDREN' marked on them. The LTTE has been forcibly taking over tsunami aid donated to affected people by NGOs.
(http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/YSAR-6XCSLF?OpenDocument)
The following were recovered from the 'JANAK' base:
1. Trail mortar cycles - 03 (Yamaha125 01/Yamaha250 02)
2. Generators - 01 (15 Kw)
3. Sewing machines - 10
4. GPS ( Global Positioning System) - 01
5. STF uniforms and self dressing
6. STF camouflage material - 01 roll
7. A stock of Army Ranaviru apparel camouflage material
8. Boats - 02 marked 'SAVED THE CHILDREN'
9. Tents - 02 with UNHCR mark on them
10. Night vision sniper rifle - 01
11. Monocular night vision - 01
12. Light machine gun (LMG) - 01
A fully equipped hospital known as 'THILIPPAN' which was also situated inside the STANLY base was seized by the STF last Monday (08). The 'THILIPPAN' hospital had been built by a NGO called ZOA. The same NGO has build around 500 houses under tsunami aid to LTTE mahaveera families in the KANCHIKUDICHCHIARU forest area.(http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/YSAR-6XCSLF?OpenDocument)
Sri Lanka troops take Tiger base after killing four
Elite police commandos captured a key Tamil Tiger base after killing four guerrillas in a confrontation in eastern Sri Lanka, the defence ministry said.
The police Special Task Force commandos took the base known as "Janaka" in the district of Ampara, the ministry said, adding that four members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were killed.
It said two STF commandos were wounded in the operation. The Tigers had maintained a uniform tailoring operation at the "Janaka" base, the ministry said on Thursday.
The latest attack came a day after the military said it killed 14 Tiger rebels on Tuesday and Wednesday in the same region. Two more rival rebels were killed by the LTTE on Wednesday.
More than 60,000 people have been killed in Sri Lanka's Tamil separatist conflict in the past 35 years and diplomatic attempts to end the conflict politically have ended in failure.
Government troops and Tamil Tiger guerrillas have been trading attacks across the island's embattled northern and eastern regions with more than 3,800 people killed in the past year despite a truce in place since February 2002.
(http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070111/wl_sthasia_afp/srilankaunrest_070111122742&printer=1)
Security forces capture explosive-laden truck meant for targets in capital, military says
Sri Lanka`s elite anti-terrorist commandoes seized a truck packed with explosives when they overran a key Tamil rebel base in the country`s east. The military said the vehicle was destined for targets in the capital.
Separately, the U.N. warned that renewed fighting has left thousands of civilians cut off from food and other basic needs in eastern Sri Lanka.
Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe, the military`s spokesman, told reporters that a rebel base in eastern Ampara district fell on Monday to the Special Task Force personnel, who also recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition.
Rebels were planning to use the truck and the explosives to carry out suicide attacks in the capital of Colombo, the Defense Ministry said on its Web site late Monday.
Special Task Force chief Nimal Lewke said four personnel were wounded during the operation, and that a search was on for rebel fighters who escaped.
Eastern Sri Lanka has become a hotbed of violence between the military and the Tamil Tigers, who have been fighting for over 20 years for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka`s 3.1 million minority ethnic Tamils after decades of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese.
Both sides claim to be adhering to a 2002 cease-fire, but violence has escalated since late 2005, with over 3,600 people killed last year.
Lewke said guerrillas had used the Ampara base to launch attacks on government forces and as a training camp for new recruits. He said it also had a hospital.
Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan confirmed a battle in the area but denied that the base had fallen.
`They (the Special Task Force) have been trying to infiltrate our area and there was also a confrontation. But I deny that the camp has been captured,` he said by telephone from the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi.
The United Nations, meanwhile, said 15,000 Tamil civilians have been trapped by fighting in rebel-held Vaharai, in the eastern Batticaloa area.
`These persons are the most vulnerable of the vulnerable. We must always recall that it is the most weak who remain behind ? the elderly, the sick and the disabled,` a U.N. statement quoted Amin Awad, Acting Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, as saying.
The government says about 20,000 civilians have moved into government-held areas to escape violence.
Awad said no food, medicine or other humanitarian supplies had been allowed into Vaharai since Nov. 29.
(ww.iht.com)
Separately, the U.N. warned that renewed fighting has left thousands of civilians cut off from food and other basic needs in eastern Sri Lanka.
Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe, the military`s spokesman, told reporters that a rebel base in eastern Ampara district fell on Monday to the Special Task Force personnel, who also recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition.
Rebels were planning to use the truck and the explosives to carry out suicide attacks in the capital of Colombo, the Defense Ministry said on its Web site late Monday.
Special Task Force chief Nimal Lewke said four personnel were wounded during the operation, and that a search was on for rebel fighters who escaped.
Eastern Sri Lanka has become a hotbed of violence between the military and the Tamil Tigers, who have been fighting for over 20 years for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka`s 3.1 million minority ethnic Tamils after decades of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese.
Both sides claim to be adhering to a 2002 cease-fire, but violence has escalated since late 2005, with over 3,600 people killed last year.
Lewke said guerrillas had used the Ampara base to launch attacks on government forces and as a training camp for new recruits. He said it also had a hospital.
Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan confirmed a battle in the area but denied that the base had fallen.
`They (the Special Task Force) have been trying to infiltrate our area and there was also a confrontation. But I deny that the camp has been captured,` he said by telephone from the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi.
The United Nations, meanwhile, said 15,000 Tamil civilians have been trapped by fighting in rebel-held Vaharai, in the eastern Batticaloa area.
`These persons are the most vulnerable of the vulnerable. We must always recall that it is the most weak who remain behind ? the elderly, the sick and the disabled,` a U.N. statement quoted Amin Awad, Acting Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, as saying.
The government says about 20,000 civilians have moved into government-held areas to escape violence.
Awad said no food, medicine or other humanitarian supplies had been allowed into Vaharai since Nov. 29.
(ww.iht.com)
Special Task Force - "Victory Is Definite"
Katukurunda, SRI LANKA: A Sri Lanka Police Special Task Force (STF) soldier affixes a badge with the logo "Victory Is Definite" to his tunic prior to a passing out parade in Katukurunda, some 43kms south of Colombo, 28 December 2006. Some 313 recruits concluded their STF training at the training centre in Kalutara. The nucleus of the STF the para-military arm of the country's police force was formed in 1983, drawing on policemen already in service and having them trained by the Army in the handling of infantry weapons and given basic training in "jungle operations", and who are deployed essentially for counter terrorist and counter insurgency operations within the country and also undertake close protection duties. AFP PHOTO/Sanka VIDANAGAMA
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