Associated Press, Sat December 23, 2006 01:39 EST. Armed men boarded a Jordanian-registered cargo ship off Sri Lanka - 's northeastern coast, near several small Tamil rebel bases, the Defense Ministry said Saturday. The Tamil Tiger rebels, who have been fighting for decades for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka - 's 3.1 million ethnic Tamil minority, control the waters around Mullaithivu.
Sri Lanka 's air force jets destroy a Tamil Tiger rebel base in volatile north
Associated Press, Fri December 22, 2006 07:46 EST . COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) Sri Lanka's air force destroyed a Tamil Tiger guerrilla base in the volatile north on Friday, the military said while accusing rebels of attacking government security posts elsewhere in the north. Sri Lanka's two decades of civil war halted temporarily in 2002 when Norway brokered a cease-fire, but a resurgence of near-daily violence has since threatened the truce. More than 3,500 combatants and civilians have been killed this year, according to the Defense Ministry.
The Tamil Tigers say they are fighting to create a separate homeland for Sri Lanka's 3.1 million minority ethnic Tamils, accusing the majority Sinhalese of discrimination.
Most of Sri Lanka's Tamils live in the island country's north and east.
