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| Tamil civilians 'out of war-zone' | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| All the civilians who were trapped in Sri Lanka's northern war zone have escaped, military officials say. | |
| Army spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara said some 50,000 ethnic Tamils had fled the area over the past three days. | |
| He said earlier 70 Tamil Tiger (LTTE) rebels had been killed trying to escape from a tiny enclave where they are holed up in the island's north-east. | |
| The army says it has cut off rebel access to the sea, and the president has claimed victory in the 26-year war. | |
| The BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo says that, if corroborated, news that the war-zone was now free of civilians would be welcomed by the international community. See a map of the conflict region | |
| The last weeks of the war have been marked by a growing chorus of international concern over the fate of Tamil civilians caught up in the intense fighting. | |
| But there is no independent means of verifying the military's figures, and our correspondent suggests they be treated with caution as government estimates of the numbers of civilians trapped have been consistently lower than the actual numbers involved. | |
| The UN has told the BBC the army figures reinforced its view that Sri Lanka's authorities were ill-prepared for the huge influx of internally displaced people. | |
| Rebels 'cornered' | |
| Both the UN and Western governments have called on Sri Lanka to exercise restraint in its pursuit of a military victory over the Tigers. | |
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| The final decisive battle 'is reaching its conclusion' | The final decisive battle 'is reaching its conclusion' |
| Despite the president's claim of military victory on Saturday, senior officials told the BBC that fighting was still continuing in the area where the LTTE leaders were said to be cornered. | |
| More than 70,000 people have died in the bitter war for a Tamil homeland. | |
| Rebel leader 'not among dead' | |
| Brig Nanayakkara said a "process of identification" was going on to identify the 70 rebels killed while trying to cross a lagoon in six boats. | |
| But he added that the Tigers' leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, was not believed to have been in the boats. | |
| British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has become the latest leader to speak out on the issue, declaring on Saturday that there would be "consequences" if Sri Lanka did not work to ensure an orderly end to the conflict. | British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has become the latest leader to speak out on the issue, declaring on Saturday that there would be "consequences" if Sri Lanka did not work to ensure an orderly end to the conflict. |
| Speaking in Jordan before returning to Sri Lanka, President Rajapakse said: "My government, with the total commitment of our armed forces, has in an unprecedented humanitarian operation finally defeated the LTTE militarily. | |
| "I will be going back to a country that has been totally freed from the barbaric acts of the LTTE," he added. | "I will be going back to a country that has been totally freed from the barbaric acts of the LTTE," he added. |
| We have restricted the LTTE to [a] one sq km-like area, so we will mop up and seize the rest of the LTTE cadres and the leadership Gotabhaya RajapakseSri Lanka defence secretary | We have restricted the LTTE to [a] one sq km-like area, so we will mop up and seize the rest of the LTTE cadres and the leadership Gotabhaya RajapakseSri Lanka defence secretary |
| But the Tigers' leadership has said repeatedly that they will not surrender, and are thought to be keeping thousands of civilians as human shields. | But the Tigers' leadership has said repeatedly that they will not surrender, and are thought to be keeping thousands of civilians as human shields. |
| There have also been reports that the Tigers are preparing a mass suicide in the face of a military defeat. | There have also been reports that the Tigers are preparing a mass suicide in the face of a military defeat. |
| Earlier, Sri Lanka's defence secretary told the BBC that the army was closing in on the remaining fighters for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (the full name for the Tamil Tigers). | Earlier, Sri Lanka's defence secretary told the BBC that the army was closing in on the remaining fighters for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (the full name for the Tamil Tigers). |
| "We have restricted the LTTE to one square kilometre-like area, so we will mop up and seize the rest of the LTTE cadres and the leadership," said Gotabhaya Rajapakse. | "We have restricted the LTTE to one square kilometre-like area, so we will mop up and seize the rest of the LTTE cadres and the leadership," said Gotabhaya Rajapakse. |
| He said the army did not know exactly where to find the rebel leader, but expressed confidence he would be tracked down. | |
| "If he has not committed suicide then he should be there," Mr Rajapakse said. | "If he has not committed suicide then he should be there," Mr Rajapakse said. |
| Vellupillai Prabhakaran began the fight for a separate state for Sri Lanka's minority Tamils in the early 1970s, progressing into a violent civil war in 1983. | |
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| Have you been affected by the fighting? Send us your stories using the form below. | Have you been affected by the fighting? Send us your stories using the form below. |
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