President vows to capture LTTE HQ by year-end

"We will hopefully take Kilinochchi by December. The rest (of the north) as soon as possible. I can't give an exact time frame,"

Agency Report

(September 16, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) President Mahinda Rajapakse has ruled out a ceasefire with the LTTE and said troops were on track to capture the LTTE political capital by the end of the year.

President Rajapakse, who pulled out of a Norwegian-brokered truce in January, said government forces were advancing "very satisfactorily" and should take Kilinochchi, in the north of the island, by December.

"I am happy. The military has made a lot of gains," he told members of the Foreign Correspondents' Association of Sri Lanka late Monday.

"We will hopefully take Kilinochchi by December. The rest (of the north) as soon as possible. I can't give an exact time frame," he said.

The president ruled out a future ceasefire with the LTTE and vowed to "finish the war as soon as possible".

"There is no point talking to them. They have not asked for a ceasefire from us. They must first surrender with their weapons," he said.

In August, the LTTE announced a 10-day ceasefire during a meeting of South Asian leaders in Colombo, which the government rejected.

"I don't think the LTTE was serious about it (ceasefire)... they only talk of one (ceasefire) when the army is pushing to weaken them," said the President, who is also defence minister. - AFP
- Sri Lanka Guardian