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Sri Lanka troops 'take key town' | Sri Lanka troops 'take key town' |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Sri Lankan troops have taken control of a crucial area near the north-eastern town of Trincomalee held by the Tamil Tiger rebels, the military says. | |
A defence spokesman said government forces had met little resistance when they moved into the town of Sampur. | |
The rebels, who have used the area to launch artillery attacks on Trincomalee port, have vowed to carry on fighting. | |
Clashes around Sampur started more than a week ago. Sporadic violence is continuing in the north of the country. | |
The only resistance we encountered was mines and booby-trapped devices Defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella | |
The BBC's Dumeetha Luthra in Colombo says the fall of Sampur is a strategic victory for the government, but adds that analysts believe the Tigers may retaliate elsewhere. | The BBC's Dumeetha Luthra in Colombo says the fall of Sampur is a strategic victory for the government, but adds that analysts believe the Tigers may retaliate elsewhere. |
It is the first change of territorial control since a ceasefire was agreed in 2002. | |
The Tamil Tigers have called on international truce monitors to declare the ceasefire now officially over. The monitors say only the government or the rebels themselves can do that. | |
'Total control' | 'Total control' |
Troops backed by air support began a major offensive to take Sampur in late August. | Troops backed by air support began a major offensive to take Sampur in late August. |
The military said its forces entered Sampur in the early hours of Monday, that it now controls 75% of the area and that it would move to consolidate that. | |
"We are in total control," defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters. | |
He said the entire harbour mouth, including several Sea Tiger bases, was now in the hands of the military. | He said the entire harbour mouth, including several Sea Tiger bases, was now in the hands of the military. |
"Troops are now engaged in clearing operations," he said. "The only resistance we encountered was mines and booby-trapped devices." | "Troops are now engaged in clearing operations," he said. "The only resistance we encountered was mines and booby-trapped devices." |
President Mahinda Rajapakse formally announced the capture of the strategically-important town at a rally of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party. | President Mahinda Rajapakse formally announced the capture of the strategically-important town at a rally of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party. |
"Our troops have captured Sampur," he said to loud applause. "This is not war, we are only responding to an attack on us." | |
The Tamil Tigers said its fighters were still "fiercely resisting" government troops. | |
"We are still fighting in the Sampur area," the rebels' political leader in the Trincomalee area, Elilan, told the BBC. | |
He said the army's advance had claimed nearly 100 civilian lives and that thousands of others had been displaced. | |
The past month has seen the worst violence since the truce deal was struck four years ago. | |
Hundreds of people, many of them civilians, have been killed in clashes this year. | Hundreds of people, many of them civilians, have been killed in clashes this year. |
The UN says more than 200,000 people have been displaced. |