Sri Lanka Troops Take Rebel Town, Military Says

Government soldiers crushed stiff rebel resistance and captured a Tamil guerrilla stronghold in northern Sri Lanka, capping a fierce eight-day battle that has left nearly 900 people dead, the military said Sunday.

Troops entered the town of Kilinochchi, 170 miles northeast of Colombo, the capital, and were clearing land mines and booby traps, said Defense Ministry spokesman Brig. Sanath Munasinghe.

“We are in the process of clearing and consolidating in Kilinochchi,” Munasinghe said.

The offensive was a crucial test for the military as it tries to seize northern jungle towns that Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels have used for cover during a 13-year civil war on the Indian Ocean island that has killed more than 46,000 people.

The Tamil guerrillas shifted their headquarters to Kilinochchi after the military captured Jaffna city to the north in December following a bloody 50-day battle.

Two flanks of troops entered Kilinochchi on Sunday afternoon after blocking a rebel retreat into the surrounding jungle. The town was deserted, as its 125,000 civilians had fled an earlier military offensive in July.

Casualty figures from Sunday’s takeover weren’t immediately available, Munasinghe said.

The rebels are fighting for a homeland for minority Tamils, who account for 18% of Sri Lanka’s 17 million people. The country is run by the Sinhalese, who make up 75%.

The weeklong battle for Kilinochchi has been the fiercest and most violent in two months.