Sri Lankan Air Force pound rebel base

The military in Sri Lanka said the Air Force took an air strike against a base of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the north on Saturday morning.

Officials from the Defense Ministry said Air Force fighter jets raided a key LTTE military base 11 km north east of Oddusudan in the Mullaithivu district at about 6:35 a.m. local time (0105 GMT).

Pilots have confirmed that the LTTE military base has been accurately hit and the base is completely destroyed, officials said.

Intensive military conflicts are underway in the north, with the government determining to defeat the LTTE before the end of this year.

The military said more than 700 people have been killed in the escalating conflict since the beginning of this year.

The LTTE has been fighting for a separate homeland for minority Tamils in the north and east for more than two decades, resulting in the death of more than 70,000 people.

Source: Xinhua