Army advances to last Tiger pockets; US & UK express deep concern

(May 13, Colombo-New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Sri Lankan Army is just positioned at the ‘‘outskirts’’ of the newly declared 2 km long civilian safety zone while destroying several LTTE gun installations near Vellamulivaikkal area.

According to the ground sources, troops have forced into several LTTE strong positions and seized a cache of weaponry, heavy earth moving vehicles and explosive devices.

An armour plated vehicle used by Tamil Tigers to escort its high profile cadres has also been found abandoned in the area, military.

Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajpaksa in an exclusive interview to AIR/DD said that some major movement is expected in the next 48 hours.

The security forces are trying to evacuate the civilians who are being held as ‘‘hostage’’ there.

Top LTTE leader believed to be killed as fighting continues in Lanka

Elusive LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran's top military aide is believed to have been killed by the Sri Lankan Army in heavy fighting in the island's north, even as 1,000 civilians broke away from the rebel-held areas and crossed over to safe zones.

Rasiah Ilanthriyan, the Military spokesman of the LTTE, was seriously injured in a skirmish with the troops in Kariyamullivaikkal in Wanni region on Monday. He later succumbed to his injuries, official sources said.

The offensive is bringing the troops almost to a face to face confrontation with the LTTE top brass. But, the pace of advance appears to have been slowed down by heavy mining and fear of large scale civilian casualties.

Britain concerned over lack of UN access to Sri Lanka

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has voiced his concern over the lack of access for UN agencies in strife-torn Sri Lanka, after the United Nations condemned a civilian "bloodbath" there.

"I believe very, very strongly that the civilian situation in northeast Sri Lanka merits the attention of the United Nations at all levels," Miliband told reporters ahead of informal meetings on Sri Lanka at UN headquarters.

The Colombo government estimates that up to 20,000 civilians are being held in the less than five-square-kilometre (two-square-mile) area where the rebels are holed up. The United Nations has said as many as 50,000 may be trapped there.(AM-12/05)

-Sri Lanka Guardian