By Prensa Latina,
Colombo : Sri Lanka Defense Minister Gotabhaya Rajapaksa expressed his confidence that security forces will in the next four months take over northern Kilinochcni district, the last bastion of separatist rebels.
The Southern Asia Press network (SAMN) echoed Rajapaksa’s declarations to The British Times newspaper in which he forecast that the mission could be over late in 2008.
The Army reported that they captured the main naval bases of the Liberation Tigers for the Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last month and entered in Kilinochchi to take control of Mannar district later.
The soldiers said that they have managed to reduce the territory under LTTE control from 2,509 square miles to 1,930 and have managed to reduce the rebel forces from 13,000 to 5,000.
The Defense Minister’s declaration agreed with an Indian suggestion that the Sri Lanka government could not win the war.
“Even if they win the battle I’m sure they cannot win the war. I think they must have the support of the Tamil population,” said the India National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan.
The LTTE capacity of terrorist attacks has not yet diminished, warned Narayanan.