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106-716: The LTTE credits the formation of the Sky Tigers air-wing to Colonel Shankar , alias Vythialingam Sornalingam, a diploma graduate of Hartley College in Point Pedro . He has an Engineering Diploma in Aeronautics from Hindustan Engineering College in Tamil Nadu , India . On November 27–28, 1998, Tamilnet reported the LTTE-operated Voice Of Tiger radio station had claimed "Aircraft of

212-571: A backbencher in the governing party. Following changes to the admission process to the Sri Lanka Law College , which allowed young MPs to gain admission, he entered Sri Lanka Law College and studied law while serving as an MP. In July 1977, Rajapaksa lost his parliamentary seat in SLFP's landslide defeat in the 1977 general elections , to Dr Ranjit Atapattu who had gained 24,289 votes to Rajapaksa's 17,896. In November 1977, Rajapaksa

318-558: A Hercules C-130 aircraft could land with a full load of cargo", the report said. The Sri Lankan Government alleged that the aircraft have been shipped with foreign aid. That year, the Sky Tigers smuggled two to five unassembled Czech Zlín Z 43 light aircraft onto their bases. The LTTE had modified 2 of their 5 Zlín Z 43 to carry 4 x 60 kg (132 lb) un-guided bombs. The explosives payload consisted of 55 kg of C-4 with ball bearings. The bomb rack and arming mechanism were believed to have been locally produced. They also diverted

424-584: A Tiger helicopter being sighted in the Batticaloa-Amparai region. The report also said The Sunday Times Military analyst Iqbal Athas had reported military intelligence UAVs had taken images of the LTTE helicopters and Mulativu airstrip. The Sunday Times Situation Report said (November 1, 1998) "Senior SLAF officials suspect the helicopter on the ground to be similar to R44 Astro — a small, light, four-seat, piston-engined civilian helicopter produced by

530-712: A cabinet reshuffle, his portfolio was changed to Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. When the United National Party (UNP) defeated the People's Alliance in the 2001 elections, Rajapaksa lost his position in the government. He was however appointed as Leader of the Opposition in March 2002. After Sri Lanka's 2004 parliamentary elections, in which the United People's Freedom Alliance gained

636-613: A few hours after his death attributed the attack to a special deep penetration unit of the Sri Lankan army , and claimed that the date of his killing had been chosen deliberately to coincide with the anniversary of the death of Thileepan , who had died 14 years earlier in a hunger strike protesting the policies of the Sri Lankan government and the Indian Peace Keeping Force . Government newspapers denied

742-672: A gun battle near the Tamil Information Centre in Chennai in 1985 in which he and his colleagues kidnapped the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam military commander Kannan. Kannan was later exchanged by the LTTE for Pottu Amman , who had been kidnapped earlier by the PLOTE. During these years, three of his brothers who were involved with the LTTE died: Manoharan committed suicide by cyanide after his capture by

848-518: A marker he passed on 19 November. In the run-up to the election, several people had been suggested for nomination as the common opposition candidate: former President Chandrika Kumaratunga , UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe , UNP Leadership Council Chairman Karu Jayasuriya , former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake , and leader of the National Movement for Social Justice Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero . However, on 21 November 2014, after

954-470: A member of the LTTE at that time, he assisted in setting up their Office of Overseas Purchases, which was responsible for acquiring communications equipment, ships, radar, and armaments. From Montreal , Sornalingam moved to Chennai in July 1983, and from there went back to Sri Lanka; upon his return, he chose to become a full time member of the LTTE, and began his rise through the ranks. He participated in

1060-408: A new constitution within one year of being elected, but not to abolish the executive presidency — it would be amended and the "weakness" in the parliamentary system eliminated. A naval force and a special security force would be set up, with the help of the army , to tackle drug trafficking and other organised crime . The manifesto also pledged to establish a transparent judicial inquiry into

1166-445: A publication in his newspaper involving First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa . Wickrematunge was detained briefly at Bandaranaike International Airport on 21 February 2006 as he arrived for a flight to Geneva . Airport officials had claimed that Wickrematunge required "special permission" to leave Sri Lanka . On 8 January 2009, Lasantha Wickrematunge was assassinated on the streets of Colombo . After Mahinda Rajapaksa's defeat at

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1272-668: A report by an UN-appointed panel of experts, which concluded that as many as 40,000 people were killed in the final weeks of the war between the Tamil Tigers and the government forces. A number of foreign journalists and news teams, such as the UK's Channel Four News , have reported and filmed evidence of targeted shelling of civilians, executions, and atrocities. Dead female Tamil fighters appeared to have been raped or sexually assaulted, abused, and murdered. Rajapaksa and his government have denied all allegations of war crimes. Following

1378-532: A slim majority, Rajapaksa became the new prime minister. He was sworn in as Sri Lanka's 13th Prime Minister on 6 April 2004. While Rajapaksa was prime minister, he was also in charge of the Ministry of Highways, Ports & Shipping . Mahinda Rajapaksa was chosen by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party to run against Ranil Wickremesinghe , former prime minister and Opposition Leader . Wickremesinghe

1484-566: A talented sportsman, representing the college in cricket and football . He then went on to the Hindustan Institute of Engineering Technology in Chennai, where he studied aeronautical engineering. Some time after completing his studies, he moved to Montreal, Quebec , Canada, where he worked for Air Canada ; while there, he was known to have become involved with the LTTE as early as 1973. Though he did not formally become

1590-536: A victory address to the Parliament and declared that Sri Lanka was liberated from terrorism. On 11 January 2006, Lasantha Wickrematunge alleged he was threatened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa with whom he had a close personal friendship with for over 20 years. Wickrematunge was allegedly abused in foul language in a telephone call According to Wickrematunge the President had threatened to “destroy him” over

1696-589: Is a Sri Lankan politician. He served as the sixth President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015; the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 2004 to 2005, 2018, and 2019 to 2022; the Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2004 and 2018 to 2019, and the Minister of Finance from 2005 to 2015 and 2019 to 2021. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kurunegala since 2015 . Rajapaksa is a lawyer by profession and

1802-564: Is located near Bandaranaike International Airport , which had been attacked by the Tigers in July 2001. The LTTE is also the only Rebel group to field aircraft. At present, the Sri Lankan Air Force's 10 Fighter Ground Attack Squadron operates ten Kfir Multirole Fighters (2 TC2/ 6 C2 / 2 C7). In addition, 5 Jet squadron employs four Mig27M Fighter-Bombers, with three more grounded pending maintenance; and four F-7 Skybolts. Both

1908-519: Is neither treacherous nor unpatriotic to seek third-party intervention. He also demanded that the United Nations, alongside NGOs such as Amnesty International , be allowed to come to Sri Lanka and investigate. Rajapaksa requested that foreign nations put human-rights-related conditions on Sri Lanka when giving aid. On 25 October 1990, he said, "If the government is going to deny human rights, we should go not only to Geneva, but to any place in

2014-621: Is said that they would have favoured Wickremesinghe of the UNP party. Rajapaksa received 50.3% of the vote. After becoming President of Sri Lanka, Rajapaksa reshuffled the cabinet and took the portfolios of Defense and Finance in the new cabinet, which was sworn in on 23 November 2005. Immediately following his election in 2005, Rajapaksa extended the term of the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army , Sarath Fonseka , less than 30 days before he

2120-637: The 2015 parliamentary election ; that year, the United People's Freedom Alliance was defeated but was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Kurunegala District. On 26 October 2018, Rajapaksa was appointed to the office of prime minister by President Maithripala Sirisena after the United People's Freedom Alliance withdrew from the unity government. The incumbent, Ranil Wickremesinghe , refused to accept his dismissal, stating that it

2226-529: The 2019 Sri Lankan presidential election . On 9 August 2020, Rajapaksa was sworn in as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka for the fourth time at a Buddhist temple on Colombo's outskirts. On 3 May 2022, a motion of no confidence aimed at Rajapaksa and his cabinet was declared by opposition leaders. He was targeted during the 2022 Sri Lankan protests over the corruption and mismanagement by the Rajapaksa family which led to an economic crisis that brought Sri Lanka to

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2332-785: The All Ceylon Muslim Congress and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress also withdrew from the UPFA government, on 22 and 28 December 2014 respectively, blaming the government's failure to protect Sri Lankan Muslims from Sinhalese Buddhist extremists . Rajapaksa released his manifesto, titled Mahinda's Vision — The World Winning Path , on 23 December 2014 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall . The manifesto pledged to introduce

2438-672: The Cessna Skymasters flying overhead for several months. The report also said it was believed the acquisition had been made between April and July 2006. Similarly, news of LTTE airstrips in the north had made periodic appearances in the southern Sri Lanka media, including a May 28, 2005 admission by the Norwegian-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission of having sighted an airstrip in the Iranamadu area, in northern Sri Lanka. The new airstrip

2544-917: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and a relative of Velupillai Prabhakaran . He was educated in Sri Lanka, and worked for some time in Canada before returning to Sri Lanka and joining the LTTE. Sornalingam was born in September 1949, the second of six sons. He studied at the Tamil Maha Vidyalayam in Vanni and later as a boarding student at Hartley College in Point Pedro , Sri Lanka between 1959 and 1969. While there, he lived in Thamotheram House, and proved himself

2650-844: The Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport , the Colombo–Katunayake Expressway , and the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium . Sri Lanka also rose into the "high" category of the Human Development Index during this time. Development projects included highways, roads, a Colombo beautification project, and rural infrastructure development. However, the roadway projects reportedly had extremely high costs and were suspected of corruption, and large Chinese loans tripled

2756-675: The Robinson Helicopter Company since 1992. Sri Lankan newspapers corroborated the discovery of an R44 Astro and also suggested that Australian LTTE contacts had facilitated the purchase of two Australian-made AirBorne microlight aircraft. The Singapore based Asian Tribune e-newspaper claimed (July 28, 2006) the LTTE had acquired two Czech-built Zlin Z-143 's, according to eyewitnesses in Eliranpuram, Pudukudiyiruppu and Meerukandi, who also claim to have frequently seen

2862-591: The alleged war crimes during the final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War , but Rajapaksa had refused to co-operate with the UN investigation. In the presidential election of 8 January 2015, Rajapaksa was defeated by his ex-aide Maithripala Sirisena , winning only 47.6% of the vote. Many had accused Rajapaksa of authoritarianism , nepotism , poor governance, and corruption. In June 2018, The New York Times reported that President Rajapaksa, during

2968-571: The family home in Medamulana . At the age of six, he was sent to his father's school Richmond College in Galle . Initially, he and his elder brother were boarded with a family in Galle, later their mother rented a house in Galle called the 'Singapore House' and moved there to facilitate the education of the growing family. In the mid-fifties, the Rajapaksa family moved to Colombo and Mahinda Rajapaksa

3074-488: The presidential election in 2015 , the new government of President Maithripala Sirisena reopened the investigation over allegations that former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa ordered the assassination. In 2010, WikiLeaks made public classified US messages sent during 2009 and 2010, stating that American diplomats, including the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Patricia A. Butenis , believed that Rajapaksa

3180-452: The 2005 presidential election, opposition parties accused Rajapaksa of bribing the LTTE to dissuade people from voting in the northern and eastern provinces . Most voters in these areas were forcibly restrained from voting by the militant group and, according to observers, they would have favoured the opposition candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe . In the 2010 election, Rajapaksa was accused of manipulating election results using computers. In

3286-524: The 2015 election, according to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry investigating irregularities into SriLankan Airlines , it was revealed that security officers and vehicles of the national carrier had been used in the Rajapaksa's 2015 presidential campaign. At the time, Nishantha Wickramasinghe, a brother-in-law of Rajapaksa, was also Chairman of SriLankan Airlines until Rajapaksa lost the presidential election in 2015. Capitalizing on

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3392-555: The 2015 presidential campaign and elections, received large payments from a Chinese port construction fund that flowed directly to campaign aides and activities. Rajapaksa had agreed to Chinese terms and was seen as an important ally in China's efforts to tilt influence away from India in South Asia. The payments were confirmed by documents and checks detailed in a government investigation report obtained by The New York Times . During

3498-758: The 5 Jet squadron and 10 Fighter Ground Attack Squadron are based at the Katunayake airbase and are believed to have been the target of the LTTE's symbolic attack. On April 23, 2007, at night 1.20 am the Air Tigers conducted an air raid on a nearby Sri Lankan military's main base complex in the Jaffna peninsula. Tamil Tiger spokesman claimed that their bombers had hit an Engineering Unit of the complex and military storage. The Tigers' spokesman also said that their bombers put more than ten bombs and one of their pilots saw large explosion followed by black ashes coming out of

3604-527: The Constitution. This amendment allowed Rajapaksa to run for a third term and cement his grip on power. The move came just a day after the Supreme Court ruled that a referendum was not required to make the change. The amendment had consequences beyond just term limits, including provisions that increased the president's power to act without oversight, removing an independent advisory council that

3710-616: The LTTE craft, but the LTTE denied it and stated that "a ircrafts [ sic ] safely returned to their bases after completing their mission "; no proof from either side was given. LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran , on October 31, conferred Awards of Valour for the Tiger commandos who excelled in their performance in the operation against the Vanni Headquarters, as well as on the Tiger pilots and operators who took part in consecutive and successful attacks against targets in

3816-788: The LTTE's charges and instead attributed the attacks to an alleged internal power struggle in the LTTE. His funeral was held at the Great Heroes' Commemorative Hall in Mulliyawalai ; he is survived by his elder brother, a doctor in the United Kingdom. The book ATM Interworking in Broadband Wireless Applications was also dedicated in his memory. Mahinda Rajapaksa Mahinda Rajapaksa ( Sinhala : මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ ; Tamil : மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ ; born Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa ; 18 November 1945)

3922-601: The Mothers' Front. Saravanamuttu's organization united the mothers of those who had "disappeared" during the 1987–1989 JVP insurrection ; the insurrection was instigated by a rebel group that called themselves Deshapremi Jathika Vyaparaya , or "Patriotic National Movement". During the insurrection, Rajapaksa frequently tried to encourage third-party intervention. He frequently complained about Sri Lanka's situation while in Geneva; he claimed that to restore democratic ideals, it

4028-477: The Rajapaksa had moved about 2,000 troops into Colombo from the Northern Province three days before the election results were announced. The general claimed that the troops were ready take action on a coup. However, the cabinet spokesperson of the new government stated, during a press conference held on 24 March 2015, that there was no evidence to prove that such a coup was attempted on the night of

4134-527: The Sky Tiger fleet, although the LTTE has claimed that they have three aircraft remaining. On May 18, 2009, The Sri Lankan army defeated the LTTE and regained control over the entire island. Several missions were carried out by the Sri Lanka Army soldiers and none of the three aircraft which the tigers claimed to have kept were found. The Sri Lanka Air Force has stated that it has plans to develop

4240-661: The Sky Tiger wing of the Liberation Tigers [had] sprinkled flowers over the cemeteries of the slain LTTE cadres in Mulliyawalai," during the annual Heroes Day celebrations. Earlier in the month, the web-based news agency reported (November 19, 1998) an unidentified aircraft allegedly belonging to the LTTE had been spotted in the Thondamanaaru region in Jaffna by Sri Lankan Navy officials. The report also said

4346-510: The Sky Tiger's improvised bombers dropped bombs on government positions. A total of 14 Sri Lankan Air Force personnel and 20 Tigers were killed. Also, this attack has damaged two Mi-24 helicopter gunships, military sources said. On April 27, 2008, at approximately 1:45 am, at least two Sky Tiger aircraft dropped three bombs on military installations near the army forward defence lines in Manalaru. Five bombs were dropped. In that two fell inside

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4452-549: The Sri Lankan military base at Palali , firing "rockets" at government forces. "Sri Lanka Army (SLA) artillery fire being directed from the base stopped after the attack...," the report said. When contacted by the Tamilnet to comment on the reported aerial attack the LTTE military spokesman Irasaiah Ilanthirayan alias Marshall was reported to have said "we will use our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines in an all out defensive measure to protect our people and homeland". The report

4558-467: The Sri Lankan navy; Vaseekaran, alias "Lieutenant Siddharth", died in a bomb blast when preparing for an attack in Mannar and a third brother was arrested by Sri Lankan forces and presumed dead after no further news was heard of him. In 2000, Sornalingam accompanied Prabhakaran in his meeting with Norwegian envoy Erik Solheim , acting as an interpreter; he and political wing leader S. P. Thamilselvan were

4664-659: The Supreme Court dismissed legal objections regarding President Rajapaksa's eligibility to seek a third term. Two years ahead of schedule, in November 2014, Rajapaksa signed an official proclamation confirming that he would seek re-election for a third term, after being unanimously endorsed by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party . Though his second term officially was to end in November 2016, he could legally seek re-election after completing four years in office,

4770-401: The Tamil people. Furthermore, the cessation of aid to the tsunami-damaged LTTE-occupied areas, and the sidelining of the Norwegian facilitators due to their alleged bias were included. Immediately following his election victory, a series of mine blasts blamed on the LTTE claimed the lives of many off-duty servicemen and civilians, pushing the country back to the brink of civil war. Following

4876-414: The Thallaadi army camp in Mannar, and another occurred against the Kelanitissa near the capital, Colombo. The Sri Lankan government said there had been no major damage at either location, but that two of the turbines hit at the power plant would take six months to renovate. An MI-24 attack helicopter gunship of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), deployed in Vanni offensive, and a Bell helicopter used to transport

4982-401: The Tigers had built an airstrip in the Mullaitivu army base after it was overrun by the LTTE in 1996. On November 27, 1998 Tamilnet reported Deputy Minister for Defence Anuruddha Ratwatte had scoffed at speculation that the LTTE has acquired aircraft, claiming the reports were part of an LTTE strategy of psychological warfare . Three days later, the news service reported unconfirmed reports of

5088-401: The Tigers. Of these, three have been used as emergency landing strips, while two had been a frequently-used airfield with two hangars. On February 20, 2009, the government's predictions were proved wrong when two LTTE aircraft attacked the capital. The LTTE lost both of the Zlín Z 43 aircraft and two Sky Tiger pilots during the attack. According to military analysts, there is no aircraft left in

5194-421: The aircraft had a small profile that made it easy to fly at a low level of around 300 feet(91m) to avoid radar detection. By swooping in on their targets at speeds of around 100 km/h, the Sky Tigers have ensured that their radar return could not be distinguished from that of a lorry, making them almost impossible to pick out. Since the military has put up anti-aircraft RADAR and stepped up combat air patrols,

5300-414: The aircraft prompting much criticism from the public and opposition political parties. Although the government played down the attack, Shell 's Sri Lankan country director, Hassan Madan told the AFP "There was big damage to our fire-fighting facility and we estimate it will cost us in excess of 75m rupees ($ 700,000) to put things back". On 6 May 2007, TamilNet reported quoting the Sunday Times reports that,

5406-410: The base year, was reduced to 3.4 and 4.5 percent, respectively. A forensic audit was launched, with International Monetary Fund help, on various projects initiated by Rajapaksa. The audit confirmed that Sri Lanka had additional liabilities of 1.3 trillion rupees (8.9 billion US dollars). Rajapaksa was accused of election fraud in relation to both of his previous presidential election runs. During

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5512-424: The bombed spots. Meanwhile, sources said continuous explosions were heard from inside the High-Security Zone for five hours after the air raid. Military sources in Colombo confirmed that at least 6 of their personnel were killed. TamilNet claimed more than 30 troopers have wounded the attack inside the HSZ. Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) spokesman Group. Cap. Ajantha Silva told media in Colombo that their runway in Palaali

5618-433: The bombs had scored a direct hit on the firefighting unit of the Kerawalapitiya storage complex of Shell Gas Lanka Ltd, forcing the company to shut down the facility and a gas shortage has also occurred. Shell Gas Director Finance Rimoe Saldin said as a result of one bomb that fell on the site, three of the four huge firefighting pumps were severely damaged, while the fourth pump was also damaged. The estimated cost of restoring

5724-533: The closure by the LTTE of the Mavil Aru reservoir supplying water to 15,000 people in government-controlled areas on 21 July 2006, the Sri Lankan military launched an offensive against the LTTE, bringing the entire reservoir under government control. Further military engagements led to the LTTE being driven out of the entire Eastern Province of Sri Lanka and loss of 95% of the territory they had controlled. The Sri Lankan government declared total victory on 18 May 2009. On 19 May 2009, President Rajapaksa delivered

5830-510: The cockpit. The first LTTE air attack happened on March 26, 2007. Two LTTE Zlin Z 143 aircraft penetrated the outer defences of the Katunayake Air force base north of Colombo on Monday, March 26, 2007, killing three air force officials and wounding 16–17 others. The defence ministry said no fighter aircraft were damaged, but two bombs hit the airforce's aeronautical engineering department. According to Al Jazeera , two parked helicopters which were bought from Pakistan were also damaged. B. Raman ,

5936-497: The country's foreign debt and created an economic crisis. Rajapaksa claimed that under his tenure, Sri Lanka started to experience rapid economic growth and that the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate reached over 7%. However, these claims have been disputed, and after his terms in office ended, the successor government revealed that GDP growth was inflated by using the year 2002 as the base year. GDP growth for 2013 and 2014, which had been calculated at 7.2% and 7.4% using 2002 as

6042-461: The defended locality injuring one soldier, damaged the roofs of some buildings and caused slight damage to six vehicles. But LTTE has not released any details of its aerial attack Government Defense Authorities claimed that they had sent Air Force interceptors to engage the Tiger aircraft, but they were unable to do so as it had already flown back before they reached the area. The Sri Lanka Navy confirmed that at least one LTTE plane dropped bombs on

6148-533: The election had been called, Maithripala Sirisena was announced as the common opposition candidate by the UNP. Sirisena had been Minister of Health in Rajapaksa's government and general secretary of the SLFP before defecting to the opposition coalition. Sirisena immediately received the support of former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and several UPFA MPs that had defected alongside him ( Duminda Dissanayake , M. K. D. S. Gunawardena , Wasantha Senanayake , Rajitha Senaratne , and Rajiva Wijesinha ). Sirisena and

6254-437: The election. A spokesman for Rajapaksa has denied the allegations as baseless. The army and police also denied the allegations. Rajapaksa unsuccessfully sought to become prime minister again, after losing his third-term presidential bid, in the 2015 parliamentary elections . The position of Prime Minister is largely that of a senior member of the cabinet who acts as a deputy to the President. The President directly appoints

6360-420: The end of the Sri Lankan Civil War in May 2009, coming off an election win in January 2010, and with the near-collapse of the opposition United National Party , President Rajapaksa rallied more than the two-thirds majority in Parliament necessary to pass an amendment to the constitution removing presidential term limits. On 9 September 2010, Parliament passed the amendment to remove presidential term limits from

6466-400: The end of the conflict, a rift emerged between Rajapaksa and Fonseka over reasons which are still disputed. On 15 November 2009, Rajapaksa ordered Fonseka to leave his post as Chief of the Defence Staff with immediate effect through a letter from his secretary. Fonseka then joined the opposition as the candidate against Rajapaksa in the 2010 Presidential election , which Rajapaksa won. Fonseka

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6572-425: The exhaust pipe of their planes to the front side of the plane, in such a manner that the IR-guided air-to-air missiles of SLAF jet attack aircraft could not detect the heat signature from their aircraft engines. When commenting about this technic, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa told the media that This was the first time the world had encountered such a terrorist tactic. Tamil Tigers also explored

6678-434: The final months of the election, the ambassador of China to Sri Lanka had lobbied voters, "even caddies at Colombo's premier golf course", to support Rajapaksa over the opposition, which was threatening to tear up economic agreements with the Chinese government. With the election coming around, large payments started to flow toward the president's circle. Affiliates of Rajapaksa's campaign received at least $ 7.6 million that

6784-402: The firefighting unit is between US$ 500,000 and $ 1,000,000. On October 22, 2007, Sky Tigers launched a pre-dawn combined arms assault on a SLAF airbase at Anuradhapura, about 212 kilometers (132 mi) north of the capital, Colombo . The assault started at around 3:20 am, with LTTE ground forces attacking the airbase and overrunning key positions, including an anti-aircraft position, before

6890-542: The government peacefully transferring to Maithripala Sirisena. The Sirisena government launched a probe into the alleged coup by Rajapaksa. The government argued that Rajapaksa attempted to seize the poll-counting centres when he realised that he was losing the election. One of the witnesses, the Attorney General, described to the Criminal Investigation Department the coup attempt made by Rajapaksa. The Attorney General said that he had refused to act on behalf of Rajapaksa. Former army chief General Sarath Fonseka claimed that

6996-455: The government to support Rajapaksa. Attanayake was later appointed Minister of Health, the post previously held by Sirisena. Rajapaksa also received support from the Buddhist extremist group Bodu Bala Sena . However, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) party withdrew from the UPFA government on 18 November 2014, citing Rajapaksa's refusal to reform the executive presidency and enact reforms to promote accountability. After much hesitation,

7102-422: The head of the counter terrorism division of RAW said that "there was also some damage to the Israeli aircraft of the Sri Lankan Air Force." The LTTE has also claimed in their newspaper, the 'Eelanatham', that they have destroyed 3 'jet hangars' in the airport. It was believed the attack was targeted at the IAI Kfirs and newly acquired MiG jets which had been bombing targets in LTTE-controlled territory. The base

7208-412: The media about the Sky Tigers that, ... Using small, slow, low-flying modified aircraft for nighttime air attacks was another innovation of the LTTE to the global terrorism... In the year 2009 Feb 19, Sri Lankan security forces found two partially burnt LTTE aircraft at Puthukkudiyirippu in Mullaittivu , which the military believed were under construction. According to ground sources, one craft found

7314-431: The military base was launched, intended to destroy the India -provided INDRA-II radar that the Sri Lankan government was using to detect the LTTE planes. Eleven soldiers and a policeman were killed along with ten Black Tigers; two Indian technicians were wounded. SLA sources in Vavuniyaa said 26 military personnel were also wounded in the mission. After the raid, the military claimed a Sri Lankan air force plane shot down

7420-465: The naval base at Trincomalee on August 26, 2008. According to the LTTE, at least four SLN sailors were killed and more than 35 wounded in the airstrike, which inflicted heavy damage on the SLN base. The aircraft safely returned to their base after carrying out their mission. On September 9, 2008, during heavy fighting in the north, a Sky Tigers aircraft dropped bombs at a military base in Vavuniya , in northern Sri Lanka. Simultaneously, an LTTE attack on

7526-450: The only ones whom Prabhakaran trusted closely enough to accompany him to that meeting. Sornalingam was killed by a claymore mine on 26 September 2001 at around 10:45 AM in the jungle near Vanni , while driving alone from Oddusuddan to Puthukkudiyiruppu . Sornalingam's killing was part of a series of attempts around the same time on the lives of LTTE leaders, including Gangai Amaran and S. P. Thamilselvan . An LTTE press release

7632-596: The orders. According to MPs Rajitha Senaratne and Mangala Samaraweera , before going to the Army Chief, Rajapaksa had earlier instructed the Attorney General to prepare the necessary documentation for the issuance of a State of Emergency , but the Attorney General had refused. Rajapaksa subsequently accepted defeat and left the Temple Trees , the official residence of president, with the control of

7738-839: The other UPFA MPs were stripped of their ministerial positions and expelled from the SLFP. Rajapaksa received the backing of a number of small constituent parties of the UPFA, including the Ceylon Workers' Congress , Communist Party , the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), the National Freedom Front , the National Union of Workers, and the Up-Country People's Front . On nomination day, 8 December 2014, two opposition MPs, Tissa Attanayake and Jayantha Ketagoda , defected to

7844-483: The peace process once in power by allying with the Sinhalese nationalist parties, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Jathika Hela Urumaya . The JVP had opposed the original 2002 peace process as treasonous. The agreement made with Rajapaksa included provisions that called for a revision of the ceasefire agreement to give the military broader powers against the LTTE, as well as ruling out any devolution of power to

7950-652: The planes were shot down with one of the planes crashing into the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) opposite the Sri Lankan Air Force Headquarters, starting a fire which resulted in the building sustaining minor damage. The Trans Asia Hotel, which is adjacent, was also damaged though slightly. The Air Force claimed that a plane crashed into the IRD building when the pilot lost control due to anti-aircraft fire. The second aircraft

8056-659: The point of bankruptcy as it defaulted on its loans for the first time in its history since independence. Protesters called him " Myna " and demanded his resignation which he resisted. On 9 May 2022, Mahinda Rajapaksa organised his supporters at his official residence who were brought by buses and led by SLPP MPs. The loyalists then attacked protestors at Temple Trees before assaulting protestors at Galle Face as attacks were carried out simultaneously against protests in other areas; however this intensified protests and retaliatory violence against Rajapaksa loyalists erupted islandwide and Mahinda Rajapaksa submitted his letter of resignation

8162-419: The poor. Pushpa Rajapaksa is Mahinda Rajapaksa's sister-in-law, wife of his brother, Basil Rajapaksa , who was also his economic development minister. CICT did not say how the money was used. According to Sri Lankan MP Athuraliye Rathana Thero , Rajapaksa attempted a coup d'état hours after the announcement of the election results, in order to remain in power, but the Army Chief, Jagath Jayasuriya , disobeyed

8268-510: The possibility of using commercially available recreational radio-controlled aircraft for certain operational missions like aerial surveillance and aerial flying bombs. According to manufacturers Moravan Aeroplanes, the Sky Tigers were able to make the Zlin easy to fly at night or in low visibility conditions because of the "night and IFR (instrument flight rules) training and flying, and great flight characteristics and additional instruments ". Also,

8374-513: The post of prime minister on 15 December 2018. Wickremesinghe was re-appointed as prime minister, and Rajapaksa was appointed Leader of the Opposition. Rajapaksa became the leader of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna in 2019, splitting the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. He became prime minister again on 21 November 2019 after being appointed by his brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa , who had become president on 18 November after winning

8480-669: The president was previously required to consult before appointing people to important non-partisan posts, such as Supreme Court judges and members of the human rights and electoral commissions. A Parliamentary Council without veto power and with only two opposition members was created in its place. In a move that was widely seen as solidifying his control over the Supreme Court, Rajapaksa removed chief justice Shirani Bandaranayake from office in January 2013, allowing Rajapaksa to appoint an ally and legal adviser, former Attorney General Mohan Peiris , as Chief Justice. In November 2014,

8586-531: The rebels have usually kept their flights short And the bonus is that the Sri Lankan authorities admitted after the first raid that they don't have the night-flying capability. The Air Tigers took advantage of this to fly over the base unintercepted and bomb it. These bombings showed the skills acquired by the TAF pilots in night operations. When addressing the SLAF in 2020, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa told

8692-465: The same day. During Rajapaksa's political career, he has been accused of multiple crimes including war crimes during the last years of the Sri Lankan civil war as well as other criminal accusations including human rights violations during his presidency, corruption and for instigating violence on anti-government protestors on 9 May 2022. As of 2023 he has been sanctioned by Canada for human rights violations. Rajapaksa spent his formative years at

8798-677: The south and the bases of the Sri Lankan military. The Sky Tiger pilots who had participated in three consecutive successful air attacks received the Warriors Award of Tamil Eelam ( Thamizheezha Ma'ravar Viruthu ) and the Sky Tiger pilots who had participated in five consecutive successful air attacks received the Blue tiger Award of Tamil Eelam ( Thamizheezha Niilappuli Viruthu ), while Kiddu artillery formation received special awards for their performance in this specific attack. Tiger aircraft struck again on October 28. One air raid happened at

8904-445: The two bombs dropped on Kolonnnawa did not explode, the two dropped on Muthurajawela had caused "minor damage" to the guard room of the private Shell Gas company and the water supply system in the complex. Defence expert Iqbal Athas said that at least five persons, including three soldiers, were injured in the incident and hospitalized. The ground fire had contributed its bit to this, he said. The security forces were unable to bring down

9010-461: The two captured LTTE airfields in Iranamadu and Mullaittivu into operational SLAF airbases. Colonel Shankar Vaithilingam Sornalingam (September 1949 – 26 September 2001; Tamil : வைத்தியலிங்கம் சொர்ணலிங்கம் , alternative spellings include Vythilingam Sornalingam ; often referred to by his nom de guerre Colonel Shankar ) was founder of the air wing and marine division of

9116-490: The web-based news agency published a series of 'edited' images taken during the July 5 Black Tiger celebration, at an undisclosed location in the Tiger-held Wanni region. Significantly one of the images showed the tiger leader flanked by several Black Tiger 'suicide' cadre in the foreground against the backdrop of a somewhat crudely painted fixed-wing military aircraft, with symbolically ambiguous flames emanating from

9222-457: The world, or hell if necessary, and act against the government. The lamentation of this country's innocents should be raised anywhere." In 1994, Rajapaksa appeared in the Sinhalese film Nomiyena Minisun . In 1994, following the election victory of the People's Alliance , a political front led by Sri Lanka Freedom Party and headed by Chandrika Kumaratunga , Rajapaksa was appointed Minister of Labor. He held this post until 1997 when, following

9328-574: The wounded soldiers from the battlefield, sustained damage, in the bombing raid on the Sri Lankan garrison at Thallaadi in Mannaar, according to a reliable military source. On February 20, 2009, the LTTE launched a kamikaze -style attack aimed at SLAF Colombo - the Sri Lankan Air Force Headquarters on Sir Chittampalam Gardiner Street – and the SLAF hangars at SLAF Katunayake adjoining the International Airport in Katunayake. Both of

9434-517: Was called to the bar as an attorney at law . He thereafter started his legal practice in criminal law in the Unofficial Bar in Tangalle , which he did until 1994. He continued to engage in politics and was re-elected to parliament in 1989, representing Hambantota District under proportional representation. He came to prominence as a leader, together with Dr Manorani Saravanamuttu of

9540-574: Was admitted to Nalanda College, Colombo . Later in 1957, he transferred to Thurstan College , where he took part in sports such as cricket , rugby and athletics, taking part in the 400m relay team and becoming the shot put champion. In the mid-sixties, he started work as a library assistant at the Vidyodaya Pirivena and soon became active in leftwing politics. He became a member of the Ceylon Mercantile Union and

9646-545: Was appointed as SLFP organiser for Beliatta in 1968. Rajapaksa contested the 1970 general elections as the SLFP candidate for the Beliatta constituency and was elected to the House of Representatives having gained 23,103 votes against his rival Dr Ranjit Atapattu from the United National Party (UNP) who gained 16,477. At the time he was the youngest member of parliament (MP) at the age of twenty-four years and served as

9752-490: Was as a light fixed-wing craft while the other was an unmanned aircraft (UAV). This aircraft construction site was well fortified. LTTE is the only organization that has assiduously tried to build up its own air capability. The aircraft repair yard, however elementary, indicated that the LTTE worked to build, maintain and operate its own inventory. On August 11, 2006, quoting unidentified sources in Jaffna, Tamilnet reported that "at least one unidentified aircraft" had flown over

9858-597: Was dispensed from China Harbor's account at Standard Chartered Bank. A sum of around $ 3.7 million was distributed in checks with ten days to go before polls opened, including $ 678,000 to print campaign t-shirts and other promotional material, and $ 297,000 to buy supporters' gifts, including women's saris. $ 38,000 was paid to a popular Buddhist monk who was supporting the Rajapaksa campaign, while two checks totalling $ 1.7 million were delivered by volunteers to Temple Trees . A subaccount controlled by China Harbor, called "HPDP Phase 2", shorthand for Hambantota Port Development Project,

9964-611: Was elected its branch secretary in 1967. His father who had lost his parliamentary seat in the 1965 general elections , died in November 1967. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) party leader Sirimavo Bandaranaike offered his father's post of SLFP party organiser for the Beliatta electorate to his older brother Chamal. Chamal who had joined the Ceylon Police Force as a Sub-inspector , turndown Mrs Bandaranaike's offer in favour of his younger brother and Mahinda Rajapaksa

10070-572: Was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970. He served as the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party from 2005 to 2015 . Rajapaksa was sworn in for his first six-year term as president on 19 November 2005. He was subsequently re-elected in 2010 for a second term. Rajapaksa was defeated in his bid for a third term in the 2015 presidential election by Maithripala Sirisena , and he left office on 9 January 2015. Later that year, Rajapaksa unsuccessfully sought to become prime minister in

10176-460: Was intact. " Six soldiers died, not only due to this, there was some artillery firing also ," military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said. The power supply was shut down for more than 3 hours in Jaffna after the air raid, civilian sources said. On April 26, Sri Lanka's air defenses in Colombo fired into the sky following reports that unidentified aircraft had been spotted on radar. No attack

10282-409: Was openly dismissed by the Colombo administration as blatant Tiger propaganda. Military analyst Iqbal Athas said "Air Force officials flatly denied the claim," adding a Bell 212 helicopter was damaged due to artillery fire, but Athas claimed personal communications with military sources had suggested the possibility of an unidentified aircraft. A few weeks before the alleged aerial attack on Palali,

10388-778: Was reported. However, a few days later on the early morning of April 29, while the nation was watching the Cricket World Cup Final , a Tiger aircraft bombed two fuel storage facilities outside Colombo. Chaos followed and electricity in the capital was shut off for nearly an hour. The LTTE claimed that the aerial bombing of the "strategic assets" was successful. According to Tamil Net, Gas and Oil storage tanks in Kerawalapitiya in Wattela, 10 km north of Colombo were hit, and three oil tanks are on fire, Wattela residents said. The Sri Lankan Defence Ministry said that

10494-579: Was reportedly located near the ruins of another Tiger airstrip that was abandoned due to air force bombing in the late 1990s. On March 16, 2007, the Daily Mirror defence analyst Sunil Jayasiri reported military intelligence had revealed the LTTE had constructed yet another airstrip in the South East of Pudukiduiruppu area in the East. "The Pudukiduiruppu airstrip is 1,250 metres long and therefore even

10600-561: Was responsible for massacres of Tamil civilians and captured LTTE fighters at the end of the war against the LTTE. The cables also stated that the responsibility for many of the alleged crimes rested with the country's senior civilian and military leadership, including President Rajapaksa, his brothers, and General Fonseka. In April 2011, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon published

10706-453: Was scheduled to retire. Over the next three and a half years, Fonseka and Rajapaksa's brother, Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa , led the country's armed forces in their battle against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, or Tamil Tigers), ultimately defeating the Tigers and killing their leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran . Although styling himself as a man of peace and a willing negotiator, Rajapaksa signalled his intention to end

10812-473: Was shot down by anti-aircraft fire close to Bandaranaike International Airport ; much of the plane was found intact with the body of the pilot and explosives inside. Two persons (two pilots) were killed and 58 were injured including two airmen of the SLAF. In their military offensive in the north of the country, the Sri Lanka Armed Forces have reported the capture of seven airfields used by

10918-616: Was subsequently sentenced to two years in jail for various offences by a court martial . President Rajapaksa signed documents for the release of Fonseka in May 2012. His presidency after ending the civil war in 2009 is known for initiating large-scale infrastructure projects such as the Colombo Lotus Tower , Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port , the Colombo Harbour South Container Terminal ,

11024-458: Was the leader of the United National Party in the presidential election held on 17 November 2005. Despite the huge election campaign led by the UNP, Mahinda Rajapaksa was able to gain a narrow victory, by 190,000 votes. Rajapaksa's opponents claimed that he won only because the LTTE called for Tamil voters to boycott the polls. Most voters in these areas were forcibly restrained from voting, and it

11130-563: Was the source of most of the payments. Rajapaksa responded in the Colombo Telegraph by calling the article "part of a political mudslinging campaign". In July 2018, a joint Chinese-Sri Lankan company, Colombo International Container Terminals Limited (CICT), confirmed paying nearly 20 million Sri Lankan rupees as a donation to the Pushpa Rajapaksa Foundation, a private fund meant to build houses for

11236-442: Was unconstitutional. This disagreement resulted in a constitutional crisis . The Sri Lankan Parliament passed two no-confidence motions brought against Rajapaksa on 14 and 16 November 2018. Failing to follow proper procedures, President Sirisena rejected both. On 3 December 2018, a court suspended Rajapaksa's powers as prime minister, ruling that his cabinet could not function until establishing its legitimacy. Rajapaksa resigned from

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