Colombo: Nearly 1,200 civilians have fled fierce fighting in northern Sri Lanka as government troops capture more territory from Tamil Tiger separatists, the military said on Sunday.
About 1,055 of the civilians, including 380 children, reached military-held areas over the last 24 hours near Puthkkudiyirippu, where battles between government troops and the rebels have been raging for weeks, military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said.
Puthkkudiyirippu is the last town held by the rebels, fighting since 1983 for a separate Tamil state in the island's north and east.
Another 108 civilians fled the war zone by boat from the northeastern coast and reached safety further north on the Jaffna peninsula Saturday afternoon.
Troops are pushing into the last major block of Tiger-held land from three angles, and a military statement said they had captured another small junction.
The UN has said 2,800 civilians caught in the fighting have been killed since late January, though the government disputes that figure. The UN estimates at least 150,000 civilians are trapped in the war zone.
The government says the number is closer to 50,000 to 60,000, and accuses the rebels of using them as human shields in a bid to avoid defeat.
