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| Sri lanka Army |
The pace of fighting in Sri Lanka has picked up since the Government gave notice it was abandoning the ceasefire with the
Tamil Tigers.
As on earlier days the battles continued on Friday on the frontlines that fringe rebel held territory in the north. A spokesman
for the military said fifty nine Tiger fighters were killed as well as one soldier. But the head of the rebels' Peace Secretariat,
S. Puleedevan, accused Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence of putting out false propaganda, saying if their figures were believed
there would not be a single Tamil left on the island.
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| shelling |
Puleedevan said soldiers were trying to push across the frontlines but were being forced back with casualties. With the ceasefire
formally coming to an end next week there's likely to be a further escalation in the conflict.
The Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka has said his aim is to eliminate the Tigers before he leaves office
at the end of the year. But the rebels say they are ready for all out war - S. Puleedevan warning if soldiers take one step
into Tiger controlled territory they would pay a heavy price
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India's frustration with Sri Lanka over Tamils