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 7 Version 8
Tamil Tigers 'kill 53' soldiers Army closes in on key Jaffna pass
(about 3 hours 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. The Sri Lankan government says troops have reached the southern outskirts of the strategic Elephant Pass, which is the key link to the Jaffna peninsula.
The rebels said the soldiers died in fighting on the main road towards the rebel-held town of Mullaitivu. Troops have been pushing north since capturing the Tamil Tigers' de facto capital of Kilinochchi on Friday.
Military officials denied that troops had suffered heavy casualties. There is no independent confirmation. There has been no comment yet from the rebels, who have held control of the pass since 2000.
The government announced on Friday that it had captured the de facto rebel capital, Kilinochchi. Tamil sources said the rebels killed 53 soldiers at the weekend. The army denies such losses.
Tamil Tiger rebels have been fighting for a separate homeland for the island's ethnic Tamil minority for the past 25 years. There is no independent confirmation of casualties and both sides regularly overstate the numbers they inflict.
See map of the region See map of the region
At least 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict. Tamil Tiger rebels have been fighting for a separate homeland for the island's ethnic Tamil minority for the past 25 years. At least 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
'Shrinking' Sole base
"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. Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said troops had gained control of the southern outskirts of Elephant Pass.
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/7811360.stm">Ruined remains of rebel 'capital' 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 He said soldiers had overpowered the resistance of the rebels there and that operations were ongoing to "bring the entire area under our control".
Sri Lankan military officials denied the rebel casualty claims and said troops had recovered the bodies of 12 Tamil Tigers. 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/7811360.stm">Ruined remains of rebel 'capital' 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 The website of Sri Lanka's defence ministry says troops have taken control of the village of Kurinchattiv and have entered Thamilamadam, both of which lie just to the south of the causeway.
Soldiers also captured the strategic town of Oddusuddan at the weekend, the army said on Monday. Oddusudan sits at an important crossroads to Mullaitivu. The loss of Elephant Pass would be another major blow to the Tamil Tigers, correspondents say, leaving Mullaitivu as their sole remaining major base.
Meanwhile, Maj Gen Jagath Dias, who led the capture of the northern town of Kilinochchi, said he was confident of taking the rebels' remaining strongholds in the north and east. Capturing Elephant Pass would allow government troops in the peninsula to link up with the mainland along the key A9 road.
Further south, soldiers also captured the strategic town of Oddusuddan at the weekend, the army said on Monday. Oddusudan sits at an important crossroads to Mullaitivu.
The pro-Tamil website TamilNet says the rebels killed 53 soldiers and injured 80 at the weekend in fighting on the main road towards Mullaitivu.
Military officials denied that troops had suffered heavy casualties and said the army had recovered the bodies of 12 Tamil Tigers.
Maj Gen Jagath Dias, who led the capture of Kilinochchi, said he was confident of taking 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. "The objective of finishing this war won't be that long off," said Gen Dias.
"The objective of finishing this war won't be that long off," said Maj Gen Dias. The BBC's Roland Buerk was among a number of reporters taken by the army to Kilinochchi following its capture.
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. Much of the town was in ruins, he said, with little sign of normal life - just 20 or so of the town's population remained.
Human shields? Troops were gearing up for operations further east. Attack helicopters flew overhead and every few minutes there was an artillery barrage, our correspondent added.
The government has barred almost all journalists from the northern war zone for a year and a half - making each sides' claims of inflicting casualties on the other impossible to verify. The government has reportedly sent reinforcements to the north
But the BBC's Roland Buerk was among reporters taken by the army to Kilinochchi following its capture.
Our correspondent says the offices the Tigers had set up there to administer territory under their control were in ruins.
The gates to the rebels' huge war cemetery had been smashed and soldiers with bandoliers of bullets posed for photographs in front of rebel war memorials now festooned with Sri Lankan flags.
Attack helicopters flew overhead, and every few minutes there was an artillery barrage, while tanks rolled by in clouds of black smoke heading north.
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. The rebels say people went of their own accord.
MAP OF THE REGION Click here to return MAP OF THE REGION Click here to return