New Clashes in Northern Sri Lanka with Rebel Forces

(14 July 08 - RV) Fighting along the front lines in northern Sri Lanka over the weekend killed 34 Tamil Tigers as the civil war between the rebels and government forces continued to escalate.

The government has intensified its campaign against the rebels' de facto state in the north after promising to crush them by the end of this year.

We spoke with Jehan Perera of the Regional Centre For Strategic Studies in Colombo. He says that despite the military’s advances their goal of defeating the rebels by year’s end is overly optimistic.