Speaker urged to ensure protection to parliament complex

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 March 2007, 02:55 GMT]
Anura Bandaranaike, Minister for National Heritage, Thursday requested the Speaker W.J.M.Lokkubandara to summon leaders of all political parties represented in parliament to an emergency meeting to decide on precautionary methods to ensure protection of the parliament complex, sources said.


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India sidesteps LTTE air strike

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 March 2007, 19:07 GMT]
India treaded with caution and reserve Wednesday while reacting to the Tamil Tigers' air strike on the Sri Lankan Air Force base at Katunayake airport on Sunday, Indian press reports said. Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shanker Menon was quoted as saying India was concerned general escalation of violence in which the airstrike was one incident.
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LTTE Air Strike, no terrorism- SAAG

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 March 2007, 12:16 GMT]
B. Raman, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, South Asia Analysis Group (SAAG) Chennai, says in his analysis: "The TAF's [Tamileelam Air Force's] air strike was well-planned and equally well-executed. It was a night operation taking advantage of the weak capability of the SLAF for night operations. It was a precision attack, which carefully avoided causing any casualty or damage in the international airport, which could have roused international ire. There were no civilian casualties----targeted or collateral. As a result, it would not be possible to characterise the attack as an act of terrorism. It was pure and simple a conventional air strike."
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2 Tamil civilians arrested in Colombo after air strike

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 March 2007, 10:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police took two persons, both Tamils, into custody in Colombo and its suburbs on Monday in cordon and search operations conducted in connection with the air strike on Katunayake air base by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), military sources said.
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Sri Lanka blackout on Air Force losses

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 March 2007, 22:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President held an emergency meeting of the country’s security leadership Monday as the government imposed a total blackout on the Liberation Tigers' bombing raid on Katunayake, the island’s main airbase in the early hours. Whilst the government says only two helicopter gunships were slightly damaged, airmen coming off duty told reporters in Colombo that several SLAF jet bombers were put out of action by fierce fires which broke out in the hangars struck by the LTTE aircraft. Up to 40% of the SLAF’s strike capability has been knocked out, they said.
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UNP demands parliamentary debate on air attack

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 March 2007, 21:13 GMT]
Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP), has requested the Prime Minister, Ratnasiri Wickremanayake to summon the parliament immediately to discuss the current security situation in Sri Lanka following the Monday predawn air strike by the air wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the Katunayake airbase.
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Sri Lankan MIG bombers attack coastal villages in Mannar, Mullaitheevu

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 March 2007, 13:23 GMT]
Four Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Russian made MIG bombers Monday noon attacked Vellankulam, located north of Iluppaikkadavai in Mannar district and Pokkanai in Puthukudiyiruppu in Mullaithivu district in the evening around 5:30 p.m. Both the locations bombed were civilian areas.
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Air-Tigers attack Katunayake military airbase

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 March 2007, 20:06 GMT]
Two attack air-crafts belonging to Liberation Tigers carried out bombing raids at the Sri Lanka Air Force airbase at Katunayake at 12:45 a.m. early morning Monday and returned safely to Vanni, military spokesperson of the LTTE, Irasaiah Ilanthiraiyan told TamilNet. The targets for the air attack were the SLAF's Kfir and MiG-27 hangars at the military base located adjoining the Katunayake International Airport (KIA), Ilanthiraiyan said. Meanwhile, military officials in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo said 3 Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) personnel were killed and 15 wounded in the attack.
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Documentary on Black Tigers premiered in Oslo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 March 2007, 13:05 GMT]
For the first time the Tamil Tigers have allowed a foreign film team to "hand-pick, follow, interview and dig deep," into the lives and faiths of two female Black Tigers, according to the producers of a documentary film titled "My daughter the terrorist," which made its World Premiere to a full house at Parkteatret in the Norwegian capital Oslo Monday.
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Pakistan’s military assistance endangers regional security­ -TNA

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 February 2007, 15:54 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Mavai Senathirajah of Jaffna district and Thurairatnasingham of Trincomalle district speaking to media on Monday condemned Pakistan’s offer to provide military assistance to Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). The MPs made the comment when asked about the announcement of arms purchase from Pakistan by Rohitha Bogallama, Minister of foreign affairs on Sunday.
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Wickremesinghe returns to lead a depleted opposition

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 February 2007, 03:19 GMT]
Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) returned home Friday morning after a nine-day tour to Nepal and India. "My party will act on principles and on behalf of the masses until it emerges victorious, "said Ranil Wickremasinghe to media persons at Katunayake International airport. 18 UNP dissidents crossed over to join the Rajapakse Government during Mr Wickremesinghe's tour abroad.
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Co-Chair envoys in Colombo meet GOSL peace delegation

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 November 2006, 09:47 GMT]
Envoys of Co-Chairs to the Tokyo Donor Conference in Colombo Thursday met with representatives of peace delegation of the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) that attended the Geneva talks 2 last week. The discussion was held at the office of the Government Peace Secretariat in Colombo.
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Akashi arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 October 2006, 05:02 GMT]
Yashushi Akashi, Japanese special peace envoy arrived in Colombo Sunday night around 10 p.m. at Katunayake International Airport on a five day stay. He is scheduled to meet Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse Monday morning and Minister Nimal Sripala de Silva this afternoon at the latter's office regarding the proposed peace talks scheduled to be held on October 28 and 29 in Geneva.
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Black Tigers, an indispensable arsenal in Tamil freedom struggle-Elilan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 July 2006, 13:22 GMT]
Black Tigers day was observed in the Muttur east in the Trincomalee district and Vaharai division in the Batticaloa district in a large scale, Tamil sources in Trincomalee said. "Black Tigers are a indispensable arsenal in our Tamil freedom struggle," said Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) addressing Black Tigers Day celebrations held Wednesday morning in Kathiraveli in Vaharai division, LTTE sources said.
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Solheim meets SL President Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 May 2006, 18:34 GMT]
Mr. Erik Solheim, Norwegian International Development Minister, arrived at Katunayake International Airport Friday 6. a.m and met with Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse at 11:00 a.m,. Mr. Solheim proceeded to India Friday around 6 p.m, where he will be meeting the Secretary of the Foreign Ministry, sources in Colombo.
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LTTE will participate at Geneva Talks if safe passage guaranteed through Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 16:15 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will participate at the second session of peace negotiations in Geneva during 19-21 April provided that the Government of Sri Lanka and the Norwegian facilitators guarantee the safety and safe passage of the Tamil Tiger negotiating team through Colombo Katunayake international airport. Mr. Anton Balasingham, chief negotiator of the LTTE, said he made this specific request for the security of the negotiating team when he met the Norwegian Development Minister, Mr. Erik Solheim Wednesday at his residence in London.
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LTTE delegation returns from Geneva

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 March 2006, 10:55 GMT]
Members of the Liberation Tigers delegation which took part in the Geneva talks held on 22-23rd February returned to Kilinochchi at 3 p.pm. Tuesday on a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter, media sources in Kilinochchi said. Head of LTTE Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan, Head of Tamileelam Police P Nadesan, Col Jeyam and LTTE Peace Secretariat's Ilanthirayan were flown to Kilinochchi while the other members will be taking the land route accompanied by members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) sources added.
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Editor of Sunday Leader detained at Katunayake

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 February 2006, 10:40 GMT]
The Editor of The Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunga was detained and harassed at the Katunayake International Airport for more than half an hour on Monday morning when he an arrived there to board a flight to Geneva, Switzerland to cover the peace talks, airport sources said.
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Balasingham leaves for UK

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 January 2006, 11:32 GMT]
LTTE's Chief Negotiator and Political Strategist Mr. Anton Balasingham, left Kilinochchi Saturday at 9:30 a.m. to Katunayake in a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter, facilitated by Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) officials.
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Colombo security tightened after intelligence warning of attacks

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 January 2006, 17:56 GMT]
Security in Colombo and its suburbs has been strengthened following warning by government intelligence agencies warned of imminent "terrorist" attacks on government strategic installations. Additional Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) soldiers have been deployed at the Katunayake international airport, police sources said.
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