Sri Lanka military overruns rebel northern defence line

Colombo: Sri Lanka's military say they have overrun the Tamil Tiger rebels northernmost defence line, forcing the rebels to a retreat from one of their most impregnable fortifications.

The capture of the fortifications at Muhamalai on the Jaffna peninsula came as government forces continued to push the rebels deeper into their shrinking heartland in the jungles of the north.

Defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said on Tuesday the government forces aimed to clear the entire north of the rebels in the "coming weeks."

Meanwhile, troops were said to be closing in on Elephant Pass on the edge of the isthmus leading to Jaffna.