A Brigadier, a Lieutenant Colonel and two Colonels were among those killed at Elephant Pass in savage and bloody attacks by the LTTE on Saturday.

The names of the officers killed are Brigadier Percy Fernando, commanding officer of army's 54 division, Lieutenant Colonel Harris Hewarachchi and Colonels Niel Akmeemana and Bahtiya Jayathailake.

Waruna Karunatilake, Colombo. The Sri Lankan government has confirmed that the strategically important Elephant Pass military complex was overrun by Tamil rebels after a ferocious 48 hour battle. In statement issued late last night (22nd) The defense Ministry said the army has "readjusted their defence lines North of Elephant Pass". The statement said 50 soldiers were killed and 381 wounded in yesterday fighting while 150 tamil rebels were killed.

Neither the LTTE nor the government has issued any fresh information of the situation in and around Elephant Pass today but military sources in Colombo said an unknown number of troops were trapped in the area.

The fall of Elephant Pass camp is the biggest military debacle in the 17 year old separatist war. It would now allow LTTE a land route into Jaffna peninsula.

The rebels in their last statement claimed that they have killed over 1000 soldiers and captured a large quantity of arms and ammunition when they overran the military complex.

Waruna Karunatilake, Colombo. President Chandrika Kumaratunga on an overseas visit for medical treatment is reported to be rushing back home following the fall of Elephant Pass Camp yesterday. The Sunday Times newspaper said she was expected to return to Colombo today from London. The President was kept informed of the developments in the war front on the telephone by the Army Chief and Plantations Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanyake who chaired cabinet meetings at her absence.

A Brigadier and three Colonels were among those killed in action when Tiger rebels launched a multi-pronged attack on the country's well-entrenched military complex, the Elephant Pass. No further details were available, at the time this story went on line.

President Chandrika Kumaratunge is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka within the next 48 hours due to deteriorating security situation at Elephant Pass.

Kumaratunge who is presently in England for a medical check-up was requested by Minister Ratnasiri Wickrmanayake to return home after the army commander Lieutenant General Sri Lal Weerasooriya briefed him about the new developments at Elephant Pass.

The local newspapers kept "mum" on the situation at Elephant Pass due to the on going censorship.

Sinhala hard-line groups criticized, the main opposition party, the UNP for recommending talks between the ruling PA government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

A spokesman for the hard liners told LAcNet that the proposed talks are "useless" since it would not serve any purpose. The spokesman who wished to be anonymous further said, "the problem the country now faced is not an ethnic problem, but a terrorist problem, therefore the LTTE must be defeated militarily but not politically".

His statement came in the backdrop of posters that sprung in and around Colombo, calling all citizens to unite to fight Tiger rebels. Adding weight to the voices of the hard liners is Anil Moonasinghe, the deputy speaker.

Moonasinghe is opposed to the talks between the PA government and the LTTE.

A relative of president Chandrika Kumaratune was sold a wrong medicine for diabetes, which resulted in his vocal cords and upper respiratory being damaged, a weekly English newspaper reported here.

The newspaper, the Sunday Times reported that the victim, a diabetic patient who had wanted to purchase liquid Parasene, a laxative on medical advise was erroneously given Hydrogen Peroxide instead, which burnt his vocal cords and caused damage to his upper respiratory track.

A motion of no confidence will be moved against Colombo Mayor Omar Kamil shortly.

In the recent past, the Colombo Municipal council had been racked with controversy and the people behind the move of the motion are powerful men backed by PA politicians.