TRINCOMALEE, April 10: Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels on Saturday consolidated gains over vast territory taken from renegade rebels, but at least 11,000 civilians fled their homes fearing more fighting.
At least two civilians were reported killed and many more wounded since the main Tamil Tiger group launched a major offensive Friday to re-take areas held by a rebel regional commander just south of here, officials said.
Security forces have said about 20 rebels had perished in the fighting, but the guerrillas have only said nine of their fighters were killed.
The main civil administrator in the Batticaloa district, C. Punyamoorthy, estimated the number of people who fled their homes in the troubled areas was in excess of 11,000.
"About 4,000 have moved to school buildings, but others have gone to safer areas to live with their friends or relatives," Punyamoorthy said. "We are making arrangements to provide them with rations for three days."
Top military officials here in this northeastern port district said the main thrust of the Tiger offensive appeared to be over and only sporadic firing was heard overnight.
The renegade leader, V. Muralitharan, better known by his nom de guerre Karuna, withdrew his fighters in the face of an onslaught of artillery, mortar bombs and automatic assault rifles, military sources said.
"There is some firing at trees and abandoned buildings," a military officer who declined to be named said. "We don't expect any more fighting right now because Karuna's men have withdrawn. There are no new confrontations today."
Aid agencies used the lull in fighting to rush relief supplies.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it had begun handing out emergency relief supplies such as plates, cups and other cooking utensils.
"We are getting manpower from the local Red Cross society to help with the distribution," ICRC spokesman Sukumar Rockwood said.
The new government considered the factional fighting a violation of a truce arranged by peace broker Norway in February 2002 between Colombo and the main leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
"It is intended to inform the Norwegian facilitators to convey to the LTTE that this is a violation of the ceasefire agreement and the government expects to take up this issue with the LTTE leadership," a defence ministry statement said.
Karuna has said nine of his fighters were killed in the battles while another 300 had been captured. The LTTE said the 300 had surrendered at the start of the offensive.
Seven child soldiers were among 15 people treated at two hospitals in Batticaloa, south of the Trincomalee port, doctors said. The Tigers have long faced international criticism for using under-age fighters.
The main LTTE leadership based in northern Sri Lanka has vowed to get rid of Karuna who on March 3 broke away from the Tigers saying the LTTE ignored the interests of Tamils in the east.
The fighting broke out a week after national elections that were narrowly won by Kumaratunga's Freedom Alliance, which includes hard-liners opposed to concessions to the rebels.-AFP
