Lankan troops close in on rebel capital

Fighting between Sri Lankan troops and Tamil Tiger rebels on the outskirts of the rebel capital Kilinochchi has left at least 24 guerrillas and two soldiers dead, the defence ministry said yesterday.
The government wants to capture the northern town and deal what it says would be a major military and psychological blow to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels.
Thursday's fighting in Kilinochchi left at least 24 Tamil Tiger soldiers dead, with two killed on the government side, the ministry said in a statement.
Troops also killed nine rebels in separate attacks along the northern front of Vavuniya and Weli Oya on Thursday, the military said.
"The LTTE (is) facing grim defeats against the onslaught of the valiant soldiers," the ministry said.
There was no immediate LTTE comment.
Sri Lanka army chief Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka said Thursday that his men had advanced to within four kilometres (2.5 miles) of Kilinochchi, and he described Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran as "a caged animal."
"Our military campaign won't stop until we liberate our motherland from the LTTE," Fonseka added.
The army chief did not say when he expected Kilinochchi to fall. But he suggested a fresh offensive would begin in the coming days.
According to ministry figures, the Tamil Tigers have lost 6,911 fighters since January. Military authorities say 675 soldiers have also died during the same period.
Casualty figures are difficult to verify since independent journalists are barred from travelling to the front lines.
Kilinochchi, the political capital of the LTTE's northern mini-state, is where the rebels have hosted visiting foreign dignitaries and peace brokers. They maintain their police headquarters, courts and own bank there.
The rebels have been fighting for an independent homeland for the Tamil minority since 1972. Tens of thousands of people have died in the conflict.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka government troops are wary of any "collateral" damage as they move closer to dismantling the Tamil Tigers' de facto state, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told AFP at the UN Thursday.
"We are trying to defeat terrorism and to that extent, whatever engagement is confined," said Bogollagama, speaking at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
"That's why we are very conscious of the collateral and the humanitarian aspect," Bogollagama said. "And we are confident that we will succeed in defeating terrorism."
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels have been fighting for an independent homeland for the Tamil minority since 1972. Tens of thousands have died in the conflict.