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Sri Lankan government forces 'seize rebel capital'
Agence France Presse - January 3, 2009
Colombo – Sri Lanka says its troops have finally captured the unofficial capital of the Tamil Tigers, dealing a blow to the rebels and their decades-old struggle for a separate homeland.
"The national flag is now flying at Kilinochchi," the ruling party spokesman Maithripala Sirisena said.
The capture yesterday of the Tigers' political headquarters – the chief target of the latest and largest military offensive of Asia's longest-running ethnic conflict – was a "historic victory for the nation", Mr Sirisena said. There was no immediate comment from the Tigers, who had earlier vowed to defend the town at any cost.
Situated 330 kilometres north of Colombo, Kilinochchi has served as the de facto capital of the Tigers' mini-state in northern Sri Lanka for the past 10 years.
Military officials said Sri Lankan ground troops had punched through Tiger defences at two locations in the city and were in full control of the area.
The Sri Lankan conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives since 1972. The president, Mahinda Rajapakse, pulled out of a ceasefire deal last year and vowed to crush the Tigers.
Since then the rebels have been on the defensive, losing strongholds in the east of the island last year and steadily retreating in the north. Mr Rajapakse vowed in a New Year's address that 2009 would see a final "heroic victory" over the rebels.
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