[Iran Press TV Latest] UN Secretary-General renews a call on Sri Lanka's rebel leaders to provide for the trapped civilians in the island's north to leave the conflict area.
Ban Ki-moon in a statement on Friday told the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leaders that the severe restrictions that the rebel group has imposed on the civilians violate the international law on the freedom of movement.
"The secretary-general is deeply distressed by continuing reports from the Vanni region of Sri Lanka that civilians are at extreme risk, with heavy casualties," and the LTTE rebels "are keeping civilians in a very small area of active conflict against their will," the statement said.
"While some have been able to leave or escape, reliable reports indicate that the LTTE have prevented others from leaving, including by firing at them," it added.
"At the same time, the secretary-general again reminds the government of Sri Lanka of its responsibility to protect civilians in war zones, and to avoid the use of heavy weapons in areas where there are civilians, as promised," the statement further said.
The statement also said that the Sri Lankan government should receive and treat displaced people in accordance with international law and "work closely with the United Nations in meeting the protection and physical needs of displaced persons."
Elsewhere, the statement said, "The secretary-general also deplores the forced recruitment of civilians, particularly children" by the rebel group.
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[Bangla Daily Star] Sri Lankan troops captured a key village from the Tamil Tigers yesterday after heavy fighting that left at least 44 guerrillas dead while another 13 rebels were killed elsewhere, the military said.
Troops moved into Anandapuram, which the rebels had been using as a logistics base, after intense clashes on Thursday, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had been putting up stiff resistance to prevent the army taking the village, the spokesman said. He said two senior LTTE leaders were among 44 rebels killed in Thursday's fighting.
In another confrontation, police commandos killed 13 Tiger rebels in the eastern district of Ampara on Friday, the military said.
On Thursday Sri Lankan troops killed 34 Tamil Tiger separatist rebels during fierce fighting in the island's north in a drive to end a 25-year-old civil war, the military said.
Troops collected the bodies of 31 rebels after intense clashes near Puthukkudiyiruppu, the last township held by the Tamil Tigers inside a tiny, shrinking territory, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said. Soldiers also recovered 50 assault rifles and communication equipment, he said. The military also ambushed and killed three rebels who infiltrated Viswamadu, a village previously captured by government forces, the military said in a statement.
The Tiger guerrillas are battling to hold back a military assault that has pushed them into a 20 square kilometre (eight square mile) patch of land in the northeast of the island.
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[Iran Press TV Latest] UN Secretary-General renews a call on Sri Lanka's rebel leaders to provide for the trapped civilians in the island's north to leave the conflict area. 
[Bangla Daily Star] Sri Lankan troops captured a key village from the Tamil Tigers yesterday after heavy fighting that left at least 44 guerrillas dead while another 13 rebels were killed elsewhere, the military said.
