Sri Lankan soldiers intensified patrols in the volatile east of the country on Wednesday to hunt down fleeing Tamil separatists, the military has said. The move comes days after the army captured rebel bases and left dozens of guerrillas dead. Hundreds of insurgents have deserted their camps and fled into jungles since Friday after troops routed rebel strongholds Vaharai and Kathiraveli in the eastern Batticaloa district. On Wednesday, Sri Lankan soldiers displayed weapons and ammunition they claimed belonged to the LTTE or the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. "We should eradicate the terrorism and allow the civilians to live peacefully," Major General P Pannipitiya said.