SL troops capture last Tamil Tiger naval base: military

In a fresh blow to the embattled ethnic rebels, troops fought their way to the Chalai base of the Sea Tigers, the naval unit of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Sri Lankan government troops on Thursday captured the last known Tamil Tiger naval base in the northeast of the island, a military official said.

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In a fresh blow to the embattled ethnic rebels, troops fought their way to the Chalai base of the Sea Tigers, the naval unit of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The military said at least four senior Sea Tigers and eight cadres were killed.

"The army has just moved into the Chalai base," the official said. "Troops are now consolidating their hold in the coastal area."