With a large number of civilians fleeing from Tamil Tiger rebels' territory to government held areas and the Army entering the so-called no fire zone (NFZ) in the north, Sri Lanka's long drawn-out civil war is coming to a conclusion, said the military and analysts.
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A photograph of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa hangs above defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella (C), who is flanked by military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara (L) and Media Centre for National Security Director General Lakshman Hulugalle, as he speaks during a news conference at the media centre for national security in central Colombo April 22, 2009.[Xinhua]
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The Sri Lankan government said Wednesday that more than 100,000 civilians have fled the NFZ controlled by the rebels since Monday after the troops captured some of the defense lines built by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the western and northern borders of the NFZ to prevent the civilians from escaping.
The government' defense spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters on Wednesday that the troops have captured the northern part of the NFZ, further cornering the LTTE into the southern part of the NFZ which is less than 13 sq km.
Rambukwella said he believes LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaranis still hiding in the NFZ of the northeastern Mullaittivu district.
The LTTE said on Tuesday that over 1,000 civilians were killed and near 2, 300 civilians were injured on Monday when the troops broke the rebels' defense lines.
"Since last 48 hours, the Sri Lankan armed forces have been using Tamil civilians as human shields to move into these territory through two fronts, Puttumatalan and Valiynarmadam. The Sri Lankan armed forces are trying to weaken the resistance of the LTTE by using the Tamil civilians as human shields," said the LTTE in a media release.
The LTTE also requested the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide medical supplies and evacuate by ship the 2,000 people injured and facing imminent danger.
The claims of the two sides can not be independently verified as most international aid agencies and media have no access to the NFZ.
The less than 20-sq-km NFZ was declared by the government early this year to accommodate large number of civilians trapped in the northern battle zone.
International aid agencies said about 60,000 people are still being trapped in the NFZ, while Rambukwella said he has no idea of the exact figure as the government has no access to the area.
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Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara (2nd L) points to a diagram that he says shows the progress of the Sri Lankan army against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during a news conference at the media centre for national security in central Colombo April 22, 2009. [Xinhua]
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Meanwhile, the concerned international community continued to plead with both the government and the LTTE to care for the safety of civilians.
The United States Department of State spokesman Robert Wood said on Tuesday that US ambassador in Colombo, Robert Blake, is urging Sri Lankan officials to seek a diplomatic solution that allows civilians to leave the NFZ.
