Thousands of Tamil Rebels Hit Northern Military Camp
March 31, 2011
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- More than 4,000 Tamil rebels attacked a key military base in northern Sri Lanka on Thursday, overwhelming 1,200 government troops in one of the most intense battles of the 13-year civil war. Helicopters dropped elite government forces near the besieged base to prepare a counterattack, military officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Warplanes, helicopters and artillery support also were summoned. Naval gunboats that rushed to the scene about 175 miles northeast of the capital Colombo were driven back from the shore by rebel boats and mortar fire. Eight rebel boats were destroyed, while the guerrillas damaged a naval craft. Casualty reports were sketchy. The government said 14 rebels and one government sailor were killed. The Tamil rebels, who want an independent homeland in northern Sri Lanka, overran the Mullaittivu army camp's perimeter shortly after midnight. Air force pilots flying overhead reported that most of the 3-square-mile base was in rebel hands by noon. Planes and helicopter gunships had been bombing and strafing the rebels since dawn. Military headquarters lost radio contact with the base for nearly four hours before re-establishing contact Thursday afternoon. The attack on the camp -- a key base in controlling rebel movements and rearmament on the northeastern coast -- could be a morale boost for the rebels. In May, the military claimed control of the rebel stronghold Jaffna Peninsula and the rebels retreated into the northern jungles or moved to Tamil-dominated areas on the eastern coast Tamil separatists claim Sri Lanka's Sinhalese majority has discriminated against them in education and jobs. More than 42,000 people have been killed in the war. In fighting elsewhere in Sri Lanka, 15 soldiers and 16 rebels were killed in two separate confrontations on Wednesday and Thursday, the defense ministry said.
