CLOMBO, May 39, Reuter: Sri Lanka’s biggest military offensive against Tamil rebels in the northern Jaffna peninsula, which has so far killed 190: people, is nearly over, the government said today.
Security forces, on the fourth day of the assault yesterday, seized a major part of northeastern Vadamarachchi, the largest guerrilla stronghold.
“The whole of the Vadamarachchi area is more or less under control by the security forces”, government spokesman Tilak Ratnakara said.
Control of Vadamarachchi, divided from the rest of the peninsula by a lagoon, has been the government’s main aim since it launched its biggest offensive against separatist guerrillas in the four-year conflict Tuesday.
A group of diplomats and foreign journalists, who have had no means of independently verifying government reports, were due to fly over the peninsula today in a military plane.
An official described the trip as “an exercise to show the world that Sri Lanka has taken steps to minimize civilian casualties in the offensive.
The government said 170 rebels and soldiers and 20 other men have been killed in the operation against guerrillas fighting to establish a separate Tamil State in northern and eastern areas of the Indian Ocean Island.
A senior government official, who declined to be identified, told Reuters that the offensive was likely to end on Monday to give troops a rest. He added that searches and consolation of areas seized from rebels would continue.
“We have more or less completed the main operation which is centered on Vadamarachchi.
Ending the offensive could also satisfy India”, he said.
India, trying to arrange peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil rebels, has strongly protested against the operation carried out by more than 3,000 troops.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 5, 1987
