This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/7810911.stm

The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 4 Version 5
Tamil Tigers 'kill 53' soldiers Tamil Tigers 'kill 53' soldiers
(10 minutes 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 are 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.
Meanwhile, Maj Gen Jagath Dias, who commanded the battle for the town of Kilinochchi, said he was confident of capturing the rebels' remaining strongholds in the north and east. The gates into the Tigers' huge war cemetery have been smashed - the dead lie under long rows of identical grey cement graves Roland BuerkKilinochchi class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7790366.stm">Key loss will test Tamil Tigers class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/2405347.stm">Q&A: Sri Lanka crisis
"Day by day, the Tigers' territory is shrinking and their numbers are dwindling," he was quoted by the Associated Press as saying. 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.
"The objective of finishing this war won't be that long off." "Day by day, the Tigers' territory is shrinking and their numbers are dwindling," he was quoted by the Associated Press agency as saying.
There have been no independent reports from the front line and the claims by each side of inflicting casualties on each other are impossible to verify. 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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
MAP OF THE REGION Click here to return