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| Tamil Tigers 'kill 53' soldiers | Tamil Tigers 'kill 53' soldiers |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka say they have killed 53 soldiers in the north of the island where the army is trying to capture rebel strongholds. | Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka say they have killed 53 soldiers in the north of the island where the army is trying to capture rebel strongholds. |
| A Tiger statement said the soldiers had been killed in fighting on the main road towards the town of Mullaitivu, believed still to be in rebel hands. | A Tiger statement said the soldiers had been killed in fighting on the main road towards the town of Mullaitivu, believed still to be in rebel hands. |
| Military officers denied that their troops had suffered heavy casualties. | Military officers denied that their troops had suffered heavy casualties. |
| The government announced two days ago that it had captured the de facto rebel capital, Kilinochchi. | The government announced two days ago that it had captured the de facto rebel capital, Kilinochchi. |
| The Tiger rebels have been fighting for a separate homeland for the island's ethnic Tamil minority for the past 25 years. | The Tiger rebels have been fighting for a separate homeland for the island's ethnic Tamil minority for the past 25 years. |
| See map of the region | |
| At least 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict. | At least 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict. |
| 'Shrinking' | 'Shrinking' |
| "At least 53 Sri Lanka Army soldiers were killed, more than 80 sustained injuries and the Tamil Tigers recovered two bodies of the soldiers in heavy fighting," the pro-Tamil website TamilNet reported. | "At least 53 Sri Lanka Army soldiers were killed, more than 80 sustained injuries and the Tamil Tigers recovered two bodies of the soldiers in heavy fighting," the pro-Tamil website TamilNet reported. |
| The gates into the Tigers' huge war cemetery have been smashed - the dead lie under long rows of identical grey cement graves Roland BuerkKilinochchi Key loss will test Tamil TigersQ&A: Sri Lanka crisis | The gates into the Tigers' huge war cemetery have been smashed - the dead lie under long rows of identical grey cement graves Roland BuerkKilinochchi Key loss will test Tamil TigersQ&A: Sri Lanka crisis |
| Meanwhile, Maj Gen Jagath Dias, who commanded the battle for the northern town of Kilinochchi, said he was confident of capturing the rebels' remaining strongholds in the north and east. | Meanwhile, Maj Gen Jagath Dias, who commanded the battle for the northern town of Kilinochchi, said he was confident of capturing the rebels' remaining strongholds in the north and east. |
| "Day by day, the Tigers' territory is shrinking and their numbers are dwindling," he was quoted by the Associated Press agency as saying. | "Day by day, the Tigers' territory is shrinking and their numbers are dwindling," he was quoted by the Associated Press agency as saying. |
| Sri Lanka's military is pushing ahead with an offensive aimed at crushing the Tamil Tigers. | Sri Lanka's military is pushing ahead with an offensive aimed at crushing the Tamil Tigers. |
| "The objective of finishing this war won't be that long off," said Maj Gen Dias. | "The objective of finishing this war won't be that long off," said Maj Gen Dias. |
| Correspondents say that following its success at Kilinochchi the government has sent reinforcements to the region to try to capture not only Mullaitivu, but also the rebel-held Elephant Pass, further north. | Correspondents say that following its success at Kilinochchi the government has sent reinforcements to the region to try to capture not only Mullaitivu, but also the rebel-held Elephant Pass, further north. |
| Human shields? | Human shields? |
| The government has barred almost all journalists from the northern war zone for a year and a half - making claims by each side of inflicting casualties on each other impossible to verify - but recently took the BBC's Roland Buerk to Kilinochchi.The government has reportedly sent reinforcements to the north | The government has barred almost all journalists from the northern war zone for a year and a half - making claims by each side of inflicting casualties on each other impossible to verify - but recently took the BBC's Roland Buerk to Kilinochchi.The government has reportedly sent reinforcements to the north |
| Sparsely built-up and stretched out along a main road, the town was not much to look at before the army rolled in, our correspondent says. | Sparsely built-up and stretched out along a main road, the town was not much to look at before the army rolled in, our correspondent says. |
| Now the offices the Tigers had set up there to administer territory under their control were in ruins. | Now the offices the Tigers had set up there to administer territory under their control were in ruins. |
| Even the gates into the Tigers' huge war cemetery have been smashed - the dead lie under long rows of identical grey cement graves. | Even the gates into the Tigers' huge war cemetery have been smashed - the dead lie under long rows of identical grey cement graves. |
| As soldiers with bandoliers of bullets posed for photographs in front of rebel war memorials now festooned with Sri Lankan flags, tanks rolled by in clouds of black smoke heading north. | As soldiers with bandoliers of bullets posed for photographs in front of rebel war memorials now festooned with Sri Lankan flags, tanks rolled by in clouds of black smoke heading north. |
| Attack helicopters flew overhead, and every few minutes there was an artillery barrage. | Attack helicopters flew overhead, and every few minutes there was an artillery barrage. |
| Just 20 or so of the town's population remained, gathered in the local hospital. With soldiers standing around, they said they were happy to see the rebels go. | Just 20 or so of the town's population remained, gathered in the local hospital. With soldiers standing around, they said they were happy to see the rebels go. |
| Almost all the rest were in the jungles with the Tigers, where the government says they were being used as human shields, our correspondent says. | Almost all the rest were in the jungles with the Tigers, where the government says they were being used as human shields, our correspondent says. |
| MAP OF THE REGION Click here to return |