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| S Lanka leader predicts rapid win | S Lanka leader predicts rapid win |
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| Sri Lanka's president has said the Tamil Tiger rebels will be "completely defeated in a few days" and asked people who fled the country to return. | Sri Lanka's president has said the Tamil Tiger rebels will be "completely defeated in a few days" and asked people who fled the country to return. |
| Mahinda Rajapaksa made the comments in an speech to the nation on the country's national day. | Mahinda Rajapaksa made the comments in an speech to the nation on the country's national day. |
| Separately, the UN said cluster bombs had hit the last functioning hospital in the north of the island. | |
| A UN spokesman also told the BBC that 52 civilians had been killed in the fighting in the last 24 hours. | |
| See map of the region | See map of the region |
| A UN spokesman said that the hospital in Puthukkudiyiruppu town in Mullaitivu district - which has been hit five times in the past few days - had been now hit by cluster bombs. | |
| The hospital was "nearly empty," the spokesman said. | |
| He also said 52 civilians had been killed in an attack on another make-shift hospital in Sudanthirapuram in Mullaitivu district. | |
| In his speech, Mr Rajapaksa said the rebels' defeat was imminent. | In his speech, Mr Rajapaksa said the rebels' defeat was imminent. |
| "Today we have been able to nearly destroy terror," he said. | "Today we have been able to nearly destroy terror," he said. |
| "At this moment I urge all Sri Lankans from all communities who fled the country because of the war to return to their motherland." | "At this moment I urge all Sri Lankans from all communities who fled the country because of the war to return to their motherland." |
| INSURGENCY TIMELINE 1976: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam form in the north-east1987: India deploys peace-keepers to Tamil areas but they leave in 19901993: President Premadasa killed by Tiger bomb2001: Attack on airport destroys half Sri Lankan Airlines fleet2002: Government and rebels agree ceasefire2005: Mahinda Rajapaksa becomes president2006: Heavy fighting resumes2009: Army takes main rebel bases of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu In pictures: Inside 'Tiger bunker'Sri Lanka journalists 'risk death'Voices from Sri Lanka | INSURGENCY TIMELINE 1976: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam form in the north-east1987: India deploys peace-keepers to Tamil areas but they leave in 19901993: President Premadasa killed by Tiger bomb2001: Attack on airport destroys half Sri Lankan Airlines fleet2002: Government and rebels agree ceasefire2005: Mahinda Rajapaksa becomes president2006: Heavy fighting resumes2009: Army takes main rebel bases of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu In pictures: Inside 'Tiger bunker'Sri Lanka journalists 'risk death'Voices from Sri Lanka |
| The government and rebels have come under more pressure to declare a ceasefire in the ongoing war. | |
| This will allow casualties to be evacuated from the war zone in the northeast of the country. | |
| A joint statement issued following a meeting between the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and the British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, said there should be a truce so that humanitarian aid could be allowed in. | |
| The Sri Lankan government has previously ruled out any ceasefire and has vowed to crush the rebels. | The Sri Lankan government has previously ruled out any ceasefire and has vowed to crush the rebels. |
| The Tigers have said they will not lay down their arms until they have a "guarantee of living with freedom and dignity and sovereignty". | The Tigers have said they will not lay down their arms until they have a "guarantee of living with freedom and dignity and sovereignty". |
| Earlier Sri Lanka's key international donors, the United States, Japan, Norway and the European Union called on the Tamil Tiger rebels to consider laying down their arms to avoid more civilian casualties. | Earlier Sri Lanka's key international donors, the United States, Japan, Norway and the European Union called on the Tamil Tiger rebels to consider laying down their arms to avoid more civilian casualties. |
| The group specifically called on all combatants not to fire on a hospital in Mullaitivu district which has been shelled repeatedly. | The group specifically called on all combatants not to fire on a hospital in Mullaitivu district which has been shelled repeatedly. |
| The BBC's Ethirajan Anbarasan in Colombo says this is the first time the influential quartet has issued such an appeal to the Tamil Tigers. | The BBC's Ethirajan Anbarasan in Colombo says this is the first time the influential quartet has issued such an appeal to the Tamil Tigers. |
| It is also the first international acknowledgement that the rebels may be near to defeat. | It is also the first international acknowledgement that the rebels may be near to defeat. |
| Sri Lanka's government says it is close to defeating the rebels. There was no immediate response from the Tigers. | Sri Lanka's government says it is close to defeating the rebels. There was no immediate response from the Tigers. |
| Up to 250,000 civilians may be trapped by the fighting. | Up to 250,000 civilians may be trapped by the fighting. |
| In a joint statement, Sri Lanka's key international donors expressed "great concern" for the plight of civilians. | In a joint statement, Sri Lanka's key international donors expressed "great concern" for the plight of civilians. |
| The statement called on all combatants not to fire on a hospital in Tiger-held territory which has been shelled repeatedly. | The statement called on all combatants not to fire on a hospital in Tiger-held territory which has been shelled repeatedly. |
| The Red Cross says the hospital in Puthukkudiyiruppu town in Mullaitivu district has been hit five times in the past few days, leaving at least 12 civilians dead. One strike was on a paediatric ward, it said. | The Red Cross says the hospital in Puthukkudiyiruppu town in Mullaitivu district has been hit five times in the past few days, leaving at least 12 civilians dead. One strike was on a paediatric ward, it said. |
| The hospital is one of the last functioning health facilities in the area. | The hospital is one of the last functioning health facilities in the area. |
| The government says it is not responsible for the attacks and has told civilians to leave the war zone. Pro-rebel websites blame the army. | The government says it is not responsible for the attacks and has told civilians to leave the war zone. Pro-rebel websites blame the army. |
| Bunker | Bunker |
| Sri Lanka's military said there was no sign of the rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in the bunker found in the north-east earlier this week. | Sri Lanka's military said there was no sign of the rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in the bunker found in the north-east earlier this week. |
| The two-storey-deep bunker was found hidden in a coconut plantation in Mullaitivu district during fighting on Monday, the army said. | The two-storey-deep bunker was found hidden in a coconut plantation in Mullaitivu district during fighting on Monday, the army said. |
| The ministry said the bunker had electricity generators, air conditioning and medical supplies. | The ministry said the bunker had electricity generators, air conditioning and medical supplies. |
| There is no independent confirmation of any of the army's claims - journalists are not able to reach the front lines. | There is no independent confirmation of any of the army's claims - journalists are not able to reach the front lines. |
| Sri Lanka's military says it has designated a safe zone for civilians in a 32 sq km buffer zone on the A-35 main road which links Paranthan and Mullaitivu. | Sri Lanka's military says it has designated a safe zone for civilians in a 32 sq km buffer zone on the A-35 main road which links Paranthan and Mullaitivu. |
| The zone is inside a gradually shrinking rebel enclave north of Mullaitivu. | The zone is inside a gradually shrinking rebel enclave north of Mullaitivu. |
| MAP OF THE REGION Click here to return | MAP OF THE REGION Click here to return |