Sri Lanka: Another Big Naval Battle

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September 27, 2006: In the Jaffna Peninsula up north, LTTE forces have cut off, or hindered, re-supply for thousands of civilians. This has caused fuel and food shortages. The army is maneuvering to launch additional attacks, in an effort to push back LTTE fighters, and make it easier to get supplies in. The army has to be careful with these attacks, as should one or more of them fail, morale throughout the army would suffer. In the past, better trained LTTE fighters, benefiting from better morale, regularly defeated larger army forces. This time, however, it's the LTTE that has the morale problems. But the LTTE is still a formidable force, and they are on the defensive, which makes it easier for them to win battles. For the moment, most of the action is firing artillery and mortar shells, and lots of patrols.
September 25, 2006: Off the north coast, the navy intercepted a fleet of 25 LTTE boats, sank eleven of them and killed 70 people. The LTTE was trying to smuggle weapons in. The five hour action, involving navy gunboats and air force bombers, left five sailors wounded as well, and several gunboats with some damage.
September 23, 2006: Thousands of Moslems in Eastern Sri Lanka have fled their homes after the LTTE warned them that a coming attack would target Moslems. The LTTE has, for years, been trying to chase all non-Tamils (especially Moslems) from territory is claimed as "Tamil."

 

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