Army, Tigers battle over port

COLOMBO - Sri Lanka's Army says it is continuing an offensive into Tamil Tiger-controlled territory, with military sources saying the ultimate aim is to sweep the rebels from the entrance to a strategic harbour.

The Government says the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) must vacate positions on the southern edge of Trincomalee harbour, from where they have launched attacks on military shipping and shelled the port and a military base.

"The battle is still going on," said an Army spokesman. "We hope there will be more than 90 LTTE cadres killed. On our side, there are 13 killed and 71 injured."

Officially, the purpose of the new offensive into rebel territory is to allow tens of thousands of displaced people to return to the town of Mutur, just south of the harbour, as well as the surrounding area.

The Tigers, who want a separate Tamil homeland in the north and east, launched a push into Army-heldMutur from the neighbouring rebel-held Sampur area at the beginningof the month after a Governmentoffensive on a nearby rebel-held water supply.

They withdrew days later but the mainly Muslim population fled and mortar fire has deterred their return.

- REUTERS