Sri Lanka (MNN)–Sri Lankan government jets bombed Tamil Tiger strongholds in the east this week. The strike came after peace talks collapsed days earlier, intensifying the momentum of the civil war.
Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels attacked a Sri Lankan navy base and an adjoining port in Galle, which was answered by government air strikes Wednesday.
David Garrison is the Asia regional leader for the Southern Baptist International Mission Board. He says the uncertainty takes a toll on their team.
That’s especially true with the latest incident. “The bombing in Galle was such a surprise because it occurred at the complete opposite end of the country when so much of the conflict has been in the northern quarter of the country. I think that once again has underscored that this conflict is not isolated; it’s not predictable.”
With no future talks scheduled, the situation looks grim. A conflict between separatist rebels and government forces first broke out in 1972. More than 60,000 have died since the start of the conflict — about 2,300 already this year.
Garrison says when death is a continual threat, that prompts people to ask important questions about eternity. “We’re seeing people in Sri Lanka who are having to confront their own mortality, their own uncertainty about their future. This is a wonderful time for Christians to be able to say ‘There is hope.'”
Pray that national believers would be ready and willing to seize the opportunities God puts before them.
