Claymore attacks kills 11 SF and 4 Rural Police in Sri Lanka
Jul 24, 2007, 13:58

Vavuniya, At least 11 Sri Lankan Security Forces (SF) were killed
while at least 8 more severely wounded at Cheddikulam, in Vavuniya in
a roadside powerful Claymore attack on the bus carrying SF on Tuesday
1:00 pm, according to the military sources in Vavuniya.

9 civilians were wounded in reprisal attacks by the SF and wounded
civilians were admitted at the nearby Vavuniya hospital. Four Sri
Lankan rural police personals were killed few hours earlier in another
incident in another part of Vavuniya.

The ambush comes in the wake of the SF' Long Range Reconnaissance
Patrol (LRRP) unit of Sri Lanka was responsible for many attacks and
killed and wounded many civilians in the recent past in the North and
East of Sri Lanka, including Mannar and Vavuniya borders, Observers
says.

"We have stationed our troops waiting in all the possible parts and
any infiltrators or any invaders will be pushed back," The Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) military spokesman Rasiah Illanthiraiyan
said from their De Facto state capital Kilinochchi.

"I do not rule out pre-emptive strikes." He further said.

The LTTE political leader, S.P Thamilselvan said in interview with
Reuters news agency early this month, peace was "not possible" with
President Mahinda Rajapaksa. "Our targets would be in the future major
military and economic structures of the government of Sri Lanka,"
"They will be targets which help the government sustain its military
operations and military rule.

"For instance (our) attack on the oil installations. That is one of
the targets that will cripple the economy of Sri Lanka as well as the
military capability of Sri Lanka, so such will be the tactic."

Human rights abuses in Sri Lanka are continuing daily against
civilians including local and international aid workers in war
stricken North and East of Sri Lanka.

Rajapakse's brother, Gothabaya Rajapakse, a former Lieutenant Colonel,
who served as a security consultant to Rajapakse while he was premier,
was made Defence Secretary in Sri Lanka early last year.

Since he was made as Defence Secretary of Sri Lanka the 2002
internationally monitored and Norway inspired ceasefire agreement
(CFA) is on the decline and only valid in mere paper, fighting and
violence are escalating making the CFA meaningless, says an observer
in Vavuniya.

Over 5,200 people were killed and over 500,000 civilians were
internally displaced since president Rajapaksa's elected to power on
November 2005. These people are still languishing in temporary
shelters without proper access to food, medicine and basic essentials
due to the continuing military operations in the North and East says
the same source in Vavuniya.