Sri Lankan government troops have tightened their siege of the last strip of land on the island still controlled by Tamil Tiger rebels and are poised for a final assault, the military said on Friday.Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told AFP that two columns of troops had consolidated positions along a strip of coastline in the northeast captured from the ethnic rebels earlier this week. "The Tigers have no land escape routes left. We have troops in place to move in at any time," another top military official said. "If not for the civilians still trapped inside, we would have gone in by now."
Nanayakkara refused to say when the final assault would take place, asserting that troops "have to consider the civilians" still trapped in the territory held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
A statement from the office of President Mahinda Rajapakse said government planes on Friday dropped leaflets on LTTE territory urging civilians to cross over. "I appeal to every one of you to come over to the cleared (government-held) areas," the messages from the president said. "I am aware of the tremendous difficulties faced by the civilians who are unfortunately still being held hostage by the LTTE. Your suffering is prolonged by this action of the LTTE who are holding you as a human shield."
Craft: Officials said sporadic fighting was continuing Friday, with the navy also fighting an offshore battle with LTTE rebels trying to flee by boat. Navy spokesman Mahesh Karunaratne said three rebel craft were sunk and 23 rebels killed. There was no comment from the Tigers, but the pro-rebel Tamilnet website said the guerrillas had sunk two naval craft in a sea battle.