Sri Lanka's military stormed the Tamil Tiger rebels' de-facto capital in the north of the island today, killing 20 after fierce fighting, according to the country’s Defence Ministry.
The rebel capital in the island's northern district of Kilinochchi is where the elusive rebel leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran is believed to be hiding.
"Troops crossed the district borders between Mannar and Kilinochchi districts at an undisclosed location," the Defence Ministry said in its website.
Two soldiers were killed in the operation.
It is not clear whether the military have captured the whole northern Mannar district, where the military has advanced significantly in the recent months.
Sri Lanka's government is pursuing a strategy to gradually retake the Tiger's northern stronghold and win the 25-year civil war amidst an almost-daily barrage of land, sea and air attacks in northern rebel-held territories.
The country's civil war has killed more than 70,000 people since it started.
Reuters