New Delhi: The Sri Lankan military on Wednesday claimed that two senior Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leaders have surrendered to the troops.
Two top Tamil Tiger leaders, including its former spokesman Daya Master and George, aide of slain political head Tamilchelvan, surrendered to Sri Lankan forces at Putumathalan, Defence Ministry Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said.
The government "strongly believes" that LTTE supremo Vellupillai Prabhakaran and his other top aides were still in the area and had not escaped, Rambukwella said, claiming LTTE "had lost all its military capabilities".
The two leaders gave themselves up in the no-fire zone where the army is on a flushing out mission. It now seems evident that this is the beginning of the end of LTTE and its chief Prabhakaran.
Sri Lanka is reeling under its worst humanitarian crisis, as tens of thousands of civilians are trying to flee the fighting.
Over 81,000 civilians have fled Sri Lanka's war-zone since Monday with the advancing troops cornering the LTTE rebels into a 14-square kilometre coastal land strip in north-eastern Mullaitivu district, authorities said.
They added that 81,423 people have fled the LTTE-held areas and entered into the government-controlled areas, taking the total number of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) since the beginning of this year beyond 150,000.
The military said that the troops have further advanced into the LTTE-held areas and captured fresh territories amid fierce gun-battles.
"The LTTE has only an eight kilometre strip or about 12 to 14 square kilometres of land area left under their control. The government strongly believes that (the LTTE chief) Vellupillai Prabhakaran is still inside the no fire zone," Defence spokesman and Minister of Foreign Employment, Keheliya Rambukwella said.
"The LTTE has lost all its military capabilities. They are fighting a losing battle. That is why they are using outside forces (protests in western capitals) to put pressure on us," he said.
The military said that the troops have advanced beyond the Puthumathalan junction in the no-fire-zone and extended their defence line to the eastern edge of the beach "virtually breaking the no-fire-zone into two major portions by Tuesday evening".
"The troops have thus marked the complete capture of a box-type strip in the Puthumathalan area, including a hospital in the no-fire-zone," the military said.
As the exodus of civilians from the no-fire-zone continues to rise, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed the Commissioner General of Essential Services to ensure that food, medicines and other essentials are provided to the people.
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Sri Lanka Information Minister Anura Yapa has expressed confidence that Prabhakaran will be caught soon. However, he said that the Government will not start a war in the country.
"The government got a huge boost today with two top LTTE leaders surrendering. At the moment, the Sri Lankan forces are helping evacuate civilians caught in the battle zone," Yapa said.
Other top LTTE leaders who are still at large are Chief of the LTTE's intelligence wing, Pottu Aman. He is the main accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. He now runs LTTE's military operations. Then there is the Chief of LTTE's Political wing, P Nadesan. He is the former head of the LTTE Police Force.
At the moment, troops are moving towards Valayanmadam which - along with Putumathalan - has been captured. The other areas which are still under LTTE control are Karayamullivaikkal and Vellamullivaikkal.
The tremors of the Sri Lankan crisis have reached New Delhi with the Congress calling for ceasefire in Sri Lanka so that the humanitarian crisis can be dissolved in a demonstrable way. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called for a high-level meeting to take a final call on the situation in Sri Lanka. He will meet the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary on Wednesday night to discuss a way to end the crisis.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has taken a tough stand on the LTTE and says they must be shown no sympathy. However, he said that the evacuation of civilians should still be the prime concern of the Sri Lankan government.
"We have no sympathy for militants but every sympathy for civilians. We want the civilians to move safely from the conflict zones to the safe zones. We have appealed to Lankan authorities to extend the period of cessation of hostility," he said.
Meanwhile, with elections in Tamil Nadu just weeks away, the Sri Lankan offensive is being used to stoke up passions for votes. Chief Minister Karunanidhi has called for a 12-hour bandh in the state on Thursday to protest the killing of innocent civilians.
In a press statement, Karunanidhi says only a permanent ceasefire in the region can save Tamils in Sri Lanka. He added that the issue is not about banning LTTE, but ensuring the safety of Tamilians living in Sri Lanka. Earlier AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa and PMK chief S Ramadoss had urged Karunanidhi to pressurise the Centre to take a strong stand on LTTE issue.
The crisis in Sri Lanka has also evoked strong reactions around the world.
Close to 10,000 Canadian Tamils called on their government to step up and press for an end to the assault on the Tamil Tigers by the Sri Lankan army. Protestors gathered outside the Parliament in Ottawa chanting slogans asking for a stop in hostilities and demanding sanctions against Colombo. Earlier, violent protests were held in Paris with 210 people ending up in jail.
The international community too has stepped up its pressure on Colombo. The US says it is disappointed that continuous calls for truce by Washington have been ignored. It has called for a diplomatic solution and even third party mediation to the crisis. But China is lending full support to the Sri Lankan army's offensive. In a statement, Beijing said it backs Colombo's efforts to safeguard its national integrity.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned Sri Lankan troops and the Tamil Tigers against blocking aid access to civilians. The ICRC and the United Nations have urged the military to renew a brief truce to negotiate safe exit for civilians.
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