Air Force bombs Tamil Tiger Radio

[Zirwaan Khan]

Air force bombs Tamil Tiger radio

Sri Lankan air force jets have bombed the Tamil Tigers' radio station in the north of the island, the rebels say.

The raid came as the rebels' top leader was about to give his annual policy speech. A Tamil Tiger statement said many civilians had been killed.

It was not possible to independently verify the casualty claims.

The rebels still broadcast the speech. Their leader Prabhakaran said hopes of peace were "political naivety". The government says it wants to kill him.

Fighting between troops and the rebels, who want autonomy for minority Tamils in the north and east, has worsened in recent months.

Building 'flattened'

The Tamil Tigers said the air raid on their radio station, known as Voice of the Tigers, came at 1630 local time.

The rebels mark what they call War Heroes' Day every year on 27 November.

"Many civilian employees present at the Voice of Tigers office to broadcast the War Heroes' commemorations were killed by the bombing. The Voice of Tigers buildings were flattened," a statement on the rebels' website said.

"Two Kfir bombers dropped 12 bombs on the buildings. The building was situated on the A9 road and civilians travelling on the road were also killed."

Sri Lanka's military said the air force had raided "a clandestine radio station" in Kilinochchi, where the rebels have their headquarters.

Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said he was not aware whether the radio station hit had been the Voice of the Tigers.

Government death threat

On Monday, the government marked Prabhakaran's 53rd birthday with a vow to kill him, after the leader of the Tigers' political wing SP Thamilselvan was killed in an air strike earlier this month.

"The killing of Thamilselvan sent a very powerful message: they know we have good intelligence on their movements," defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told the AFP news agency.

"We are after him [Prabhakaran]. We are specifically targeting their leadership."

A Norwegian-brokered ceasefire in 2002 broke down after two years ago, resulting in renewed fighting that has killed more than 5,000 people.

At least 70,000 people have died since the war began in 1983.