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Sri Lanka Army

Defender of the Nation

News Archive

  • CIVILIAN FLOW EXCEEDS 100,000 FIGURE

    Flash !

    COLOMBO: THE civilian exodus from the “No Fire Zone” in PUTHUMATTALAN into government-held areas crossed the figure 100,000 (one hundred thousand) at about 3.00 p.m. on Wednesday (22) after the flow started early Monday (20) morning, the Army Headquarters declared. 

  • People in 56 Division Area Receive New Year Gifts from Army

    56 DIVISION troops showed their concern on the poor living in  Karapainchakulama, Saintsolai, Karthasinnakulam and Annanagar villages in Vavuniya and gave away gift parcels to over 507 families on account of the Sinhala and Hindu New Year. The distribution took place on 10th and 11th of April 2009. Those gift parcels were sponsored by the Loadstar Company.  Each parcel contained one sarong, 1 kg sugar, 1 kg dhal, one packet of milk powder, one packet of tea and one tin of canned fish. 
  • INJURED & SICK ON BOATS REACH PULMODDAI

    TRINCOMALEE:  AS thousand of trapped civilians are continuing  to find their way to Security Forces-held areas for safety across the lagoon,  some more have resorted to escape using risky seas. They left PUTHUMATTALAN crossing the lagoon and reached the Naval troops in PULMODDAI this afternoon (22). The group included thirty three girls, thirty two boys, ninety one women and seventy eight men on eleven boats.

  • Air Force Assists in Hostage Rescue Mission

    AIR FORCE spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said the Air Force has contributed to the largest hostage rescue mission by using its close surveillance and air transport. Addressing the media yesterday at the MCNS , Wing Commander Nanayakkara said that the Air Force has airlifted over 238 sick and wounded civilians from the NFZ to the Anuradhapura hospital in their hostage rescue mission. He said the Air Force supported in the hostage rescue operation by providing close surveillance of LTTE activities and civilian movement in the NFZ, as well as air transport. 

  • PLOTE Thanks President

    THE PLOTE yesterday lauded President Mahinda Rajapaksa on his leadership that ensured the liberation on civilians held captive by the LTTE and also the military for accomplishing a mission which military experts in the world thought was not possible. Writing to President Rajapaksa, Head of the PLOTE and DPLF Dharmalingam Sithadhan said "it is with a sense of relief that we heard that under your leadership the Armed Forces are now in the process of successfully releasing thousands of hostages held by the LTTE within the "Safe Zone".

  • Saving Civilians from Tigers and Crocodile Tears

    THE last week has seen what amount to pleas to save the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam reach hysterical levels. Whilst much of this was couched initially in language suggesting concern not for the Tigers, but for the civilians trapped by the Tigers, gradually the mask slipped, and the true colours of the interventionists showed themselves. The picture became clear when the Sri Lankan Government granted a humanitarian pause which had been argued for on the grounds that this was essential for the captive civilians to escape.

  • Tamil Protesters Give up Red Tiger Flag for Black Banner

    FOR YEARS, pro-Tamil demonstrators have proudly hoisted the distinctive red flag many associate with the banned Tamil Tigers, a group Canada deems a terrorist organisation.But on Tuesday, among about 10,000 demonstrators on Parliament Hill, those were nowhere to be seen, replaced instead by Canadian flags and stark black banners - symbolic, demonstrators said, of the civilians killed in the offensive by the Sri Lankan government.

  • Tigers in Sheep's Clothing - 'The Island' Editorial

    TWO LTTE propagandists surrendered to the army yesterday. They are known as Daya Master and George Master––a former schoolmaster and a retired postmaster respectively. Interestingly, Daya Master, a one-time LTTE spokesman, was rushed with a police escort to Colombo for treatment during the UNF government, which earned notoriety for its shameless appeasement of the LTTE.

  • TROOPS UPON CIVILIAN EVACUATION MARCH FURTHER SOUTH

    MULLAITTIVU: SRI LANKAN Army troops, now engaged in the world’s largest rescue operation in the PUTHUMATTALAN ‘No Fire Zone’ (NFZ), upon evacuation of besieged civilians, were reportedly inching further towards the southern sector, close to AMPELVANPOKKANAI and VELAYANMADAM areas. The walk up to those areas has become easier, since no civil population was living there any longer.

  • THEY CONTINUE TO STREAM FROM NFZ; 103,143 ESCAPED IN THE PAST 90 HOURS

    MULLAITTIVU: More and more fleeing civilians from the ‘No Fire Zone’ in PUTHUMATTALAN, irrespective of Tiger threats or day and night risks, continues to stream across  into troop-held areas as this report went to printing. By Thursday (23) morning, the total number of affected civilians that had escaped the LTTE grip in the past four days, beginning Monday (20) early morning rose to 103,143. With the 72,571 civilians who have exited and re-located elsewhere in cleared areas before 20th instant,  the grand  total as of Thursday (23) mid-noon reached 175,714.