Sri Lankan army soldiers take part in an operation to regain territory from the Tamil rebels in Jaffna, about 396 kilometers north of Colombo, in this April 6, 2008 file photo. REUTERS/Buddhika Weerasinghe/FilesSri Lankan Troops Take Rebel Villages: Govt -- AFP
COLOMBO (AFP) — Sri Lankan troops on Thursday wrested control of two coastal villages from Tamil Tiger rebels after a series of pitched battles, the military said.
The fishing settlements of Devil's Point and Vallaipadu on the island's northwestern shore were used by the rebels to smuggle arms from south India and launch attacks on troops, the military said in a statement.
Troops would now be able to advance on the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) stronghold of Pooneryn, it said.
Government forces say they have recently taken control of the nearby towns of Kiranchi and Palavi following weeks of heavy fighting.
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