Sri Lanka presses on against rebels after taking HQ

By Buddhika Weerasinghe

KILINOCHCHI (Reuters) - The Sri Lankan military said on Sunday it was pressing on to defeat rebels and catch their leader, two days after seizing the Tamil Tigers' de facto capital Kilinochchi.

There has been no direct comment from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the fall of the town that was long the centre of their fight for an independent homeland for the island's Tamil minority.

Sri Lankan troops cleared mines on Sunday from the town which journalists were allowed to visit on a tour. Intermittent gunfire and artillery barrages could be heard in the distance.

"We will continue this operation to capture rest of the LTTE area and (reclusive rebel leader) Prabhakaran soon," said Major-General Jagath Dias who had led government troops on Friday into the town.

The loss of Kilinochchi is one of the biggest blows to the rebels in years.

One hospital there was being used as a refugee registration centre.

"The LTTE kept us by force but we escaped fortunately," a 50-year-old man, who said he fled the rebels with 23 other people, told reporters.

Details of casualties from the fighting have not yet emerged.