Soldiers force Tamil rebels from town
From Times Wire Reports
Sri Lankan soldiers routed ethnic Tamil rebels from a key town after weeks of heavy fighting, the military said, and thousands of Tamil civilians fled their homes because of the battles.
Military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said the army “gained complete control over Vaharai,” an impoverished coastal town in eastern Batticaloa district.
The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam said in an e-mail that they “decided to pull back” from the area.
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