Sri Lankan troops captured a Tamil Tiger camp as they pushed into rebel territory in the embattled north, the military said yesterday, a day after 11 rebels and a soldier were killed in fighting along the northern front lines.
Guerrillas hastily abandoned the camp in the village of Periyapunchankulam in Vavuniya District as soldiers advanced into rebel-held territory on Saturday, said military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara.
He said no casualties were reported in the area, with troops so far going only about 400m forward from the front lines in Vauniuya, just south of rebel-held territory.
There has been a major escalation in fighting in recent weeks along the front lines surrounding the Tamil Tiger rebels' de facto state in parts of the north.
The military push is aimed at crushing the separatist movement.
In other fighting on Saturday, troops captured a rebel post at a crossing point between government-held and rebel territory in the north, after a battle that killed eight insurgents and one soldier, Nanayakkara said.
The crossing point at Uyilankulam has not functioned since September when the International Committee of the Red Cross withdrew its personnel -- who had ensured the safety of people crossing -- citing escalating violence.
Separately on Saturday, troops destroyed two rebel bunkers in the village of Kilali on the northern Jaffna peninsula, killing two insurgents.
Another rebel was killed in northeastern Welioya village.
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