COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, March 17 (UPI) -- Sri Lankan army troops captured a strategic junction Tuesday, further limiting the mobility of Tamil Tiger rebels trapped in the country's northern reaches.
Defense officials said it took days of heavy fighting to secure the Iranapalai junction in Puthukkudyiruppu that had been the headquarters of Tamil Tiger intelligence chief Pottu Amman, Lanka Page reported.
The rebels' territory is now limited to about 11.5 square miles.
Meanwhile, Lanka Page reported 1,565 civilians in the rebel area sought protection from the government security forces.
The United Nations' UNICEF relief agency expressed concern about the welfare of children still in the rebel-controlled zone.
"Children and their families caught in the conflict zone are at risk of dying from disease and malnutrition," UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said in a news release urging for safe access to aid workers into the war zone.
"Regular, safe access for humanitarian agencies is urgently required, so that lifesaving supplies can be provided, and civilians must be allowed to move to safe areas where essential humanitarian support is more readily available."
