COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan army on Friday claimed a major success in its offensive to capture the Tamil Tigers’ stronghold of Kilinochchi by seizing a village astride a highway linking the base to Vavuniya, the military-controlled town that is nearest to the LTTE’s “capital”.

The defence ministry said the military took control of Kanakarayankulam after a two-pronged attack from the north-west and south-west of the strategic highway, known as A9.

“The army has now cleared 30 kilometres of the highway leading to Kilinochchi. The capture of Kanakarayankulam and the earlier liberation of Puliyankulam and Mankulam, all key towns on the A9, will trigger an exodus of civilians that would speed up the demise of the terrorist outfit (LTTE),” the ministry said.