Sri Lanka Air Force bombed a Tamil Tiger rebel base in the
northern Jaffna peninsula on Wednesday, defense officials said.
Air Force spokesman Group Captain Ajantha Silva said that a base
of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) sea wing at Pooneryn
was the target.
The target was successfully taken as fire balls were seen
emanating from the target, Silva said.
Meanwhile, the US Ambassador in Colombo Robert Blake said that
neither the US government or other international donors would back
a military solution to the island's conflict.
"The United States or any other international donor will not
support a military solution. We believe in a negotiated
settlement," Blake stressed.
The US envoy's comment came in response to a statement by the
top defense official and brother of President Mahinda
Rajapakse.
Gotabhaya Rajapakse, the defense secretary, said at a state
ceremony on Monday that no political solution was possible until
terrorism was completely eliminated.
He said that government troops would next move into the north in
order to take on the rebels militarily.
(Xinhua News Agency September 20, 2007)
