Sri Lankan Civil War Continues to Escalate

(21 July 08 - RV) The Sri Lankan military confirmed today its forces destroyed six rebel boats and captured a Tamil Tiger rebel base on the northwest coast yesterday, following a 48-hour battle that left at least 15 rebels dead. The civil war on the Indian Ocean island has escalated in recent months, with the military stepping up ground assaults and air strikes after the government pledged to capture rebel-held territory and crush the insurgents. Archbishop Oswald Gomis in Colombo told us the war is now at a point where dialogue is basically over and fighting will likely prove the only way to end the conflict.