India seizes weapons, explosives destined for Sri Lankan rebels; detain 5 people

Associated Press, Wed February 14, 2007 05:43 EST . K.N. ARUN - Associated Press Writer - CHENNAI, India (AP) India's navy and coast guard have seized two caches of weapons and explosive-making material believed destined for Sri Lanka - 's Tamil Tiger rebels, and detained five people, officials said Wednesday. The material included hundreds of anodes, metal rings, rubber washers and metal nails all of which are used to make the lethal roadside bombs and land mines favored by the Tigers, who have been fighting since 1983 for a homeland for Sri Lanka - 's Tamil minority.

``We are convinced the consignment was meant for the LTTE,'' van Haltern said, using an acronym for the rebels' formal name, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. He did not elaborate.

Another suspected LTTE cache was found Tuesday aboard a boat intercepted near the town of Point Calimere, about 450 kilometers (280 miles) south of Chennai, said coast guard Cmdr. S.K. Panwar.

All five of the men detained were aboard the fiberglass boat, and three are suspected to be members of the Tigers, Panwar told the AP.

``We have seized one AK-56 assault rifle, 124 rounds of ammunition, huge quantities of hand grenades and detonators. There were also eight barrels containing a white colored chemical, which we suspect could be ammonia-based and usable in making explosives,'' he said.

Tamil Nadu state is home to nearly 56 million Tamils, who share broad cultural ties with Sri Lanka - 's 3.1 million Tamils. While many in Tamil Nadu sympathize with the plight of Sri Lanka - 's Tamils who have faced decades of discrimination from the island nation's Sinhala majority there is only tepid support for the Tigers in the Indian state.

India's government also has been reluctant to become deeply involved in Sri Lanka - since a disastrous military intervention in the 1980s led to the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by a Tiger suicide bomber.

Sri Lankan military says 690 kilograms of powerful C4 explosives found in Jaffna

Associated Press, Wed February 14, 2007 03:25 EST Associated Press Writer - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) Sri Lanka - 's military found 690 kilograms (1,518 pounds) of powerful military-grade C4 explosives in the northern city of Jaffna, an official said Wednesday. Jaffna, 300 kilometers (185 miles) north of Colombo, is the main ethnic Tamil city in the northern peninsula, which is home to Sri Lanka - 's Tamil minority on whose behalf Tamil Tiger rebels say they are fighting to create a separate homeland.

Samarasinghe said the house was specially built and had false walls. The 23 boxes of explosives, each containing 30 kilograms (66 pounds), were placed between the dummy walls, he said.

``This was a special ammunition storage site for the Tigers,'' Samarasinghe said, adding that the haul was the result of a civilian tip-off. ``The explosives were good enough to blow up large buildings.''

Calls to rebel headquarters in Kilinochchi for comment were not answered.

Separately, clashes between security personnel and rebels in eastern Ampara on Wednesday killed at least four people, Samarasinghe said.

Fighting between the Tamil Tigers and the military has left at least 68,000 people dead, including about 3,600 who died last year despite a 2002 Norwegian-brokered cease-fire.

Both sides claim they are still adhering to the truce.