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...Sri Lanka Taking the Tigers' Territory The Sri Lankan military advanced onto the last splinter of coast held by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, moving the Tigers' 33-year separatist struggle into its likely endgame. Despite being outnumbered nearly 100 to 1, the approximately 500 remaining Tigers have refused to surrender, clinging to their last 5-mile-long strip of territory. The army's advance has allowed more than 90,000 ethnic Tamil civilians trapped between the two sides to flee the fighting, although thousands more still remain. "We're seeing the final stage of this war, with...
...Many thousands of civilians have been forced to flee since fighting started in March 2008, when the Sri Lankan army began advancing on areas held by the Tigers in the northern region known as the Vanni. Over 65,000 civilians have since braved the fighting and escaped to safety behind army lines, and another 10,000 sick and wounded civilians and caregivers have been evacuated by sea by the International Committee of the Red Cross...
...years ago, the Tigers held vast swaths of land in the country's north, but have now been limited to a 20 sq km (7.7 sq mi) coastal zone surrounded by the military. A naval blockade to the east has also cut off possible escape routes. On Monday, the Sri Lankan government gave the Tigers 24 hours to surrender...
...civilians who escaped on Monday were among over 150,000 trapped in the now narrow battle zone, according to the U.N.; the Sri Lankan government puts the figure at around 70,000. "We cannot give an exact figure, it is very difficult," Hulugalle says. The U.N. has warned that conditions are precarious within the zone, with civilians running short on safe drinking water and food, and getting caught in the crossfire...
...There was no confirmation from the Tigers on the latest exodus, but the pro-Tiger TamilNet website reported that government troops had entered the no-fire zone on Monday morning. "Full firepower is being deployed by the [Sri Lankan army]," the site said. "Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher fire, shelling, RPG fire and gunfire have hit several places causing heavy civilian casualties." The Sri Lankan military said that Tigers used a battle tank to fire at the troops and escaping civilians; footage of the firing obtained by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was later released by the airforce. According...