November 24, 1999
Rebels Cross Sri Lanka Defense Line
By The Associated Press
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) -- Tamil Tiger rebels overran a militarydefense line today protecting a strategic army supply base in SriLanka's north, the rebel radio said.
The Voice of Tigers radio said its forces had beaten back thearmy position outside Thiruketheeswaram, a town about a mile fromthe Talladi base, which provides supplies for government troops onSri Lanka's western coast.
The Defense Ministry declined comment, saying it was awaitingfield reports, and there was no independent confirmation of therebels' claims. Rebels and government troops have been rainingartillery on each other in fighting over the area.
The army captured the region eight years ago and has sincestrengthened its defenses around the base on the Mannar coast, 135miles north of Colombo.
The guerrillas, called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelan,have been pushing forward in a relentless four-week advance in thenorth of the island country off India's southern tip. The fall ofTalladi would be an embarrassment for President ChandrikaKumaratunga, who has called for a presidential election next month.
The Tamil Tigers have been fighting for years for an independenthomeland for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka, claiming discriminationat the hands of the majority ethnic Sinhalese. The civil war haskilled more than 58,000 since 1983.
Meanwhile, the London-based Amnesty International expressedgrave concern over the recent killing of civilians both bygovernment forces and Tamil rebels.
``The past months have seen a worrying trend in which civilianshave been killed by both sides to the conflict,'' the group said ina statement made available in Colombo today.
It referred to the weekend killing of 44 civilians by artilleryshells that landed in a 17th-century church in the northern town ofMadhu.
``All parties must refrain from direct attacks on civilians orindiscriminate attacks,'' it said.
The government did not immediately react to the statement. Ithad earlier blamed the Tigers for the artillery attack on thechurch, a charge denied by the rebels.
In September, the air force killed 21 Tamil civilians in abombing raid that the government later said may have beenaccidental. The Tamil Tigers retaliated by killing at least 50ethnic Sinhalese civilians in attacks on three villages.