Sri Lanka War Updates -- August 23, 2008

A Sri Lankan soldier patrols Colombo on August 2. Sri Lanka has staged provincial elections amid high security as troops pushed deeper into rebel territory in fierce clashes that have left 26 dead. (AFP/File/Ishara S. Kodikara)

Sri Lanka Holds Local Polls As Army Heads
To Rebel Capital -- Yahoo News/AFP

COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lanka staged local elections under tight security Saturday as troops pushed deeper into Tamil Tiger territory, closing in on the rebel capital in the war-ravaged north, officials said.

Two out of the country's nine provinces cast ballots to elect new top local officials, without any incidents of violence reported, police said.

"We deployed about 25,000 men to guard polling booths and the reports so far suggest that the voting went off without any major incident," a police official said.

The provinces which went to the polls -- North Central and Sabaragamuwa -- are not hit by fighting between troops and Tiger rebels, but the government had turned the vote into an unofficial referendum on its military strategy.

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More News On Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka military moves to take Tiger capital -- Yahoo News/AFP
Sri Lanka military: 26 killed in new fighting -- Yahoo News/AP
Sri Lanka fighting kills 24 rebels, 4 soldiers -- International Herald Tribune
Sri Lankan troops inching towards rebel nerve center -- China View
Sri Lankan aircraft pound rebel bases for third day -- Reuters
4 soldiers, 24 rebels killed in Sri Lanka fighting -- Islamic News Agency
Fighting intensifies in Sri Lanka -- Washington Times
Sri Lanka holds provincial polls amid military push -- ABC News (Australia)
Sri Lanka provincial polls amid military push -- Deutsche Welle
Turnout high in provincial elections in Sri Lanka -- Khaleej Times

My Comment: The Sri Lankan Government is making an all out push to end this war by the end of the year. I predict that they will succeed. But terrorism and insurgent attacks will become the result, thereby alienating the two communities even more.