Colombo:
Sri Lankan troops have "almost wiped out" the 30-year-old "LTTE menace", President Mahinda Rajapaksa asserted even as the military launched a multi-directional manoeuvre to rescue civilians trapped in a tiny strip of land where the rebel remnants are hiding.
The war with the LTTE is ending and "final touches" are being given by the security forces in their campaign to eliminate the LTTE terrorism, Rajapaksa said.
"Heroic soldiers have almost wiped out 30-year-old terrorist menace, and we are in the final phase of putting the final touches to the brutal war," the President said at a ceremony to welcome newly sworn-in Western Provincial Council (WPC) Chief Minister and his Cabinet in Colombo on Monday.
According to the military, the troops are advancing into the remaining parts of the no-fire zone while launching a multi-directional strategy to rescue the civilians, who, they say, are being held hostage by the rebels.
"Security forces have now cornered the remaining LTTE cadre including its most wanted terror chiefs into a mere 4.5 sq km land south of Rektavaikkal and surging in three frontal ground manoeuvres to rescue civilian hostages held at gunpoint," a military source said on Tuesday.
The troops are maintaining restraint to avoid collateral damage inspite of continuous LTTE mortar and direct roll artillery barrages, sources said.
The 58 and 53 Division infantrymen advancing from north and west of Mullivaikkal met with stiff LTTE resistance throughout Monday while the 59 Division troops commenced advancing northwards from the initial forward defences at Wadduvakal.
"The LTTE has suffered heavy beating from the security forces and now left in total disarray with successive loses of both ground and cadre," a security source said.
Meanwhile, one civilian was killed when LTTE cadres triggered a Claymore mine blast targeting a tractor at Konketiyawa in north-western Sri Lanka this morning.
According to available information, the tractor belonging to the Pelawatta sugar company was travelling along the Goonaganara-Illukpitiya Road during the time of the explosion.