Sri Lankan planes bomb Tiger rebels in the east

Colombo, Dec 30: Sri Lankan air force planes bombed Tamil Tigers in a key rebel-held area in the island's east today, the military said, stepping up an offensive in the region.

The military said a Tiger artillery gun position was destroyed in the air strike in Vakarai, one of the last major rebel-held areas on the eastern coast.

Another strike was successfully carried out on a Sea Tiger base in the nearby Pudukudiyirippu area, the military said in a statement.

Fighting between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which wants a separate homeland for ethnic Tamils in the north and east of the island has intensified in recent weeks, despite a 2002 truce.

REUTERS

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