Council members, meeting in closed session, appealed to the Sri Lankan government to exercise maximum restraint and to the Tamil Tiger rebels, or LTTE, to lay down their arms and abandon the use of violence to pursue their political aims, the council president said.

Sir John Holmes, the UN's humanitarian coordinator, reported on his recent trip to the island under the agenda item "other matters" after Russia dropped its objections to the Security Council discussing the conflict between government forces and Tamil Tigers.

Sir John said 200,000 civilians were trapped by the fighting, and cited "credible reports" that the Tamil Tigers had shot at some trying to flee. He said he had urged the government to call a temporary halt to hostilities or establish a humanitarian corridor to allow people to leave, if it could be agreed. More...Discuss this story Published: Fri Feb 27 22:56:17 EST 2009

At the SAARC Foreign Ministers conference here, Mr. Rajapaksa said terrorism impacted the whole region, in one way or another.

The conference which concludes on Saturday is expected to adopt a declaration on terrorism. One of the main elements of the declaration pertains to the need for a review of all the declarations and instruments adopted by the SAARC over the years to tackle the challenges posed by terrorism.

“Our societies bear the brunt of the evil force of terrorism. But, we cannot and should not allow even a single citizen of South Asia to suffer as a result of the brutal violence unleashed by terrorists. Therefore, we need to re-double our efforts to combat this menace individually and collectively.” More...Discuss this story Published: Fri Feb 27 21:07:17 EST 2009

The government has said it is on the verge of destroying the rebels and ending the Indian Ocean island nation's quarter-century civil war.

Army troops entered Puthukkudiyiruppu, the last town under rebel control, on Tuesday and the two sides continued to wage fierce house-to-house battles, the military said. If the town falls, the rebels will be confined to a small coastal strip, some villages and a patch of jungle.

The recent military gains have left the group in control of 22 square miles (58 square kilometers) of land, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said. That is slightly smaller than the New York City borough.

Aid groups estimate 200,000 ethnic Tamil civilians are trapped in that area along with the rebels and have expressed increasing concerns about their safety. Human Rights Watch reported last week that an estimated 2,000 civilians have been killed in the recent fighting.

Five civilians who were wounded in air strikes and artillery fire Friday died, Dr. Thurairaja Varatharajah said from a makeshift hospital in the war zone. Forty-one others are being treated for their wounds, he said. More...Discuss this story Published: Fri Feb 27 15:02:58 EST 2009