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Sri Lanka sends S.O.S. to arms suppliers as Tamils close in on Jaffna

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, May 2, 2000

LONDON -- Sri Lanka is meeting with major arms dealers in a desperate attempt to resupply to stop rebels from recapturing a key city.

Sri Lankan officials have met in Colombo with arms dealers from Britain, Czech, Israel, Iran, Pakistan, Russia and Singapore. Defense sources told Middle East Newsline Sri Lanka seeks missile and attack patrol boats as well as long-range artillery.

The shopping spree comes as Tamil rebels are launching an effort to recapture Jaffna, the gateway on the northern tip of the island country off India. So far, government troops have so far managed to check the advance of the guerrillas toward Jaffna, about 300 kilometers north of the capital Colombo. The military captured Jaffna in 1995.

Last week, 10,000 Sri Lankan soldiers withdrew from the Jaffna peninsula in what was regarded as a humiliating defeat. Military casualties ranged from the government claim of 214 to the Tamil Tiger claim of 1,000.

Sri Lanka has also recruited trainers to help improve the performance of the military. The military wants the training to be combined with improved weapons such as laser-guided bombs and electronic warfare systems.

Tuesday, May 2, 2000

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