The Jaffna peninsula has long been seen as the symbolic heart of a 25-year-old separatist insurgency on the island.

Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara says that the soldiers on Wednesday captured Chundikkulam village. Last week troops captured the Elephant Pass base, the insurgents' final stronghold on the peninsula.

He says the rebels retreated with their dead comrades and that the military did not suffer any casualties.Discuss this story Published: Wed Jan 14 09:38:59 EST 2009

"Our troops are on the verge of wiping out the LTTE and most of its leaders are now trying to either surrender or flee the country," Transport Minister Dallas Alahapperuma said.

But, the minister said, "Doors were still open," for the LTTE to bring the conflict to an end by surrendering.

"Prabhakaran has no courage to face our soldiers. He might try to flee. Yet, some elements are attempting to breathe new life into the terrorists who are now on their last legs," the Minister said. More... Discuss this story Published: Wed Jan 14 20:10:15 EST 2009

Colombo (dpa) - The Sri Lankan government sharply criticized comments made by the German Ambassador Jurgen Weerth at the funeral of a slain newspaper editor, a foreign ministry official said Wednesday.

Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona on Tuesday summoned Weerth to express the government's ``displeasure,'' the official said on condition of anonymity.

At Monday's funeral of Lasantha Wickrematunge, editor of the anti-government The Sunday Leader newspaper, who was shot and killed last week, Weerth said, ``Today is a day when one remains speechless. Maybe we should have spoken before this. Today it is too late.

``Today is a day when humanity has lost a major voice of truth. But he will live in his work,'' he said, making clear he was speaking in his capacity as the dean of Colombo-based diplomats.

The funeral was attended by an estimated 5,000 people, including a number of foreign diplomats.

Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and three other leaders of political parties were among those who spoke at the funeral.

Wickrematunge's newspaper was known as an anti-government publication and was also critical of ongoing military operations against Tamil rebels in the northern part of the country.

He was gunned down by unidentified men on January 8 while he was driving to work. His murder triggered street protests which included the burning of an effigy of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. dpa ad im tlDiscuss this story Published: Wed Jan 14 06:19:47 EST 2009