May 17, 2008

Sri Lankan military bombs rebel air strip

The Associated Press

Sri Lankan air force jets bombed an air strip used by Tamil Tiger rebels, while 16 insurgents were killed in ground clashes in the north, the military said Saturday.

The attacks Friday came hours after a suicide bomber rammed his motorcycle into a bus carrying riot police in the heart of the capital, killing 10 people.

A military statement said pilots confirmed bombing the runway in rebel-held Iranaimadu village. It gave no details of casualties or damage. The air force has claimed to have bombed the same strip several times in the past.

Troops killed 16 insurgents during clashes Friday in the Vavuniya district, the statement said.

Also, a hand grenade exploded in northern Vavuniya town Saturday, wounding 17 civilians, the military said.

It was not possible to independently verify the military's claims because reporters are not allowed in the war zone. The two sides are known to exaggerate their enemy's casualties while underreporting their own.

Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan could not be contacted for comment.

The military blamed the Tamil Tigers for Friday's blast in Colombo that killed 10 people, including eight police, and wounded 85.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the rebel group has 'demonstrated to the world its total commitment to violence and terror to achieve its separatist goals in Sri Lanka, and its absolute contempt for democracy and human rights.'

The rebels, blamed for more than 240 suicide attacks, have been listed as a terror organization by the United States and European Union.