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| Sri Lanka |
| Army advances on rebels at Resorvoir |
| 2006-07-31 |
| COLOMBO - Sri Lankan troops moving to secure a Tamil Tiger rebel-held water supply came under fire on Sunday and found themselves in a minefield, the military said, as they launched the first deliberate advance since a 2002 truce. The closing of a water channel from an eastern rebel-held area to goverment-held farms prompted a surge in violence in recent days including air and artillery strikes. On Sunday, ground forces were sent in to secure irrigation for the ethnic majority Sinhalese farms in the area, south of the northeastern port of Trincomalee. A clash erupted shortly after but there was no word on casualties. “They are so close to the sluice gate but there seems to be a confrontation—a firefight,” said a military spokesman, referring to the troops. “There are also mines all over the place. They are clearing them now.” Both the government and the Tigers claim control over the site of the reservoir, which lies in an area where the border between the foes is ill-defined. However the ground reality is that the Tigers control the area, military sources said. |
| Posted by:Steve White |