LTTE defeated,claims Rajapaksa

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced that his country has militarily defeated the LTTE...

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Saturday announced that his country has militarily defeated the LTTE,which had terrorised the island for nearly three decades,and promised the minority Tamil community with a homegrown political solution in the countrys north.

However,there was no word on the whereabouts of the LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran amid a Government claim that the cornered rebels may resort to mass suicide.

My Government with the total commitment of our Armed Forces,has in an unprecedented humanitarian operation,finally defeated the LTTE militarily, Rajapaksa said while addressing the summit of G-11 nations in Jordon.

I will be going back to a country that has been totally freed from the barbaric acts of the LTTE, the President said as he cut short his visit to Jordon.

The Tigers are preparing for a mass suicide after forces cut off their sea as well as land escape routes and cornered them in a mere 1-sq-km area,a military statement said.

Rajapaksa also promised to follow the military victory with a political solution that will pave way for democracy to root itself in the countrys embattled north.

Rajapaksa claimed that as many as 210,000 civilians have been rescued so far by the countrys security forces in a well coordinated humanitarian operation against the LTTE.

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The defeat of the LTTE on the ground heralds a new era in Sri Lanka. It provides all Sri Lankans with a brand new opportunity for peace and development, Rajapaksa said.

The liberation of regions hitherto controlled by the LTTE,which amounted to a fourth of Sri Lankas land mass,paves way for democracy to root itself and development to march ahead after decades of conflict. Efforts are already underway to complement the humanitarian mission with a political solution, the President added.

Terming the LTTE as the most ruthless terrorist organisation,Rajapaksa said the rebels have massacred thousands of innocent civilians and tried to destroy the countrys economy in the last 30 years.

Rajapaksa said his Government is firmly committed to seeking a homegrown solution acceptable to all communities living in Sri Lanka.

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Despite LTTEs defeat on the ground,it could well continue to sustain itself overseas. Our timely action must therefore ensure that the LTTE and other like-minded terrorist groups do not continue to circumvent the law by indulging in illegal operations,through various front organizations located overseas, Rajapaksa said.