Colombo:
Thousands of Tamil civilians, including a large number of children and women, have fled the conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka as the military stepped up its offensive in the LTTE-held areas, officials said on Monday.
Amid fears that thousands of trapped civilians could become victims in Sri Lanka's war zone as area controlled by the LTTE shrinks, some 4,700 non-combatants crossed over to the government held areas in the Wanni on Monday, officials said.
The Lankan military has accused the rebels of holding the civilians as human shields and called for noncombatants to flee to government-controlled areas. The Tamil Tigers have accused the troops of indiscriminately shelling the war zone, leading to increasing civilian casualties.
",A total of 24,000 civilians have crossed over to army held areas in Wanni since January this year",, military spokesperson Udaya Nanayakkara said. According to defence sources, as many as 4,701 Tamil civilians have crossed over to liberated areas from the Puthukudiyirippu in Mullaittivu during the last 24 hours.
",The Army and the GA's office are ready to facilitate these civilians and their security and welfare is well guaranteed,", the military official said The Lankan defence ministry said the troops are engaged in a rescue mission to open escape routes for the civilians who were forcibly held by the LTTE ",as a human shield",.
According to the Red Cross, about 2.5 lakh Tamil civilians are trapped in the embattled northern Wanni. Lankan defence officials said the security forces have been practicing a ",Zero Civilian Casualty", as thousands of civilians have been rescued from the LTTE, who are using them as ",human shields",.
According to the defence ministry, as many as 5,593 civilians crossed over to the safe zone yesterday, marking the highest number of displaced people moving to the liberated areas in a single day. It is expected that at least 75,000 more people will move to government-controlled areas in the next few weeks, officials said.
It was pointed out that rescue points have been tactically established on the frontline where the civilians can cross over to safety. The army has won a string of major victories over the guerrillas in recent weeks, as the military said they were ready to inflict a ",decisive blow", to the guerrillas.
Fighting has escalated in recent months after the government in January 2008 pulled out of the 2002 cease-fire pact with the rebels.
The Tamil Tigers have been fighting since 1983 for an independent state for the minority ethnic Tamils, alleging marginalisation of the community for decades by governments dominated by the Sinhalese. Over 70,000 people have been killed in the civil war in the Island nation.