Sri Lanka

Government captures underground rebel bunker

Article published on the 2009-02-03 Latest update 2009-04-23 11:41 TU

Sri Lankan soldiers explore an abandoned LTTE office
(Photo: Reuters)

The Sri Lankan army announced that it has captured an elaborate underground bunker complex Tuesday, which might have been the leader of the Tamil Tigers hide-out. It accuses the rebels of using the civilian population as human shields while the Red Cross complains that it is coming under repeated attack.

The prize capture was announced as the government’s battle to rout the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) entered a “decisive phase”, the defense ministry said.

The complex is “a two storied luxurious house with all the furniture available. All the rooms are being air conditioned [and] the electricity is provided by three sound-proofed generators… It’s underground and overhead is another house, with a road and landscaping,” Sri Lankan Army Brigadier Udaya Niyakaran told RFI.

 

At least 20 rebels were killed trying to defend the facility, according to the government.

The Sri Lankan government previously expelled all international NGOs from the combat area, saying that it would take care of the civilian population. As the fighting has intensified, however, the defense ministry now says that the safety of the civilians trapped in the combat zone “cannot be guaranteed.”

“We have demarcated a saftety zone of 35 square kilometres, communicated this through the media,” and to the only aid agency remaining in the region, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Niyakaran said.

In order to avoid civilian casualties, he said, the army only advances after extensive reconnaissance and only with the most professional troops.

The offensive has been very successful in taking back land, reducing rebel-held territory from about 18,000 square kilometres to less than 300.

But now the UN estimates that there are 250,000 civilians trapped in this shrinking area, prevented from fleeing by the Tigers, prompting government accusations that the rebels are using the civilian population as human shields.

But the ICRC, operating on the ground, is suffering from repeated attacks, suggesting that the government is not living up to its policy of “zero civilian casualties”.

“Yesterday evening the hospital was hit for the fourth time by shelling. It was the fourth time in less than two days,” said ICRC spokesperson Sophie Romanence.

 

“What’s most important for us now is that they respect their obligations to spare medical facilities,” Romanence told RFI. “It’s important that the hospital as such is protected and that it is not attacked.”

The captured complex lies on a “two acre plot” of land in a coconut grove in Mullaittivu district, where Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was said to be hiding out.

The Defense Ministry has speculated that Prabhakaran has already fled the island by boat.

Also found at the site was medical equipment, which “proves he’s a diabetic patient,” Niyakaran said.

The Army also said that it took the last of the jungle airstrips used by the Tigers to launch airstrikes across the country. The two kilometer strip and hangar for light aircraft was captured after fighting near Thirivilaru. No aircraft were found.