UN: Sri Lanka Conflict a 'Bloodbath'

Tens of thousands of civilians trapped; UN envoy arrives

(NEWSER) - The Sri Lankan government claims to be within 48 hours of capturing the last holdout of Tamil Tigers, as the Red Cross warned of "an unimaginable human catastrophe" for the tens of thousands of civilians trapped in the war zone. Only a few hundred rebels remain in a two-mile-square mile patch on the island's coast. The government, despite denials, is reportedly shelling the region with heavy artillery, reports the BBC, while the rebels are using civilians as human shields. More»

Ethnic tensions remain as Tamil rebels lay down arms

(NEWSER) - The Sri Lankan government finally prevailed in its 26-year civil war with Tamil rebels with a brutal campaign, leaving thousands dead and 300,000 displaced. Now, reports the Wall Street Journal, the country must try living in peace after years of assassinations and abductions from both sides. Tamils "should be able to live without fear and mistrust," said the country's president—but ethnic tensions are still flaring. More»

After 26 years, Tamil Tigers resoundingly defeated

(NEWSER) - The leader of the Tamil Tigers was shot dead before dawn this morning as the Sri Lankan army moved into the rebel group's final stronghold, the Guardian reports. Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed while trying to flee the war zone in an ambulance. Four other senior Tigers, including his son, were also killed. News of his death sparked celebrations in Sri Lanka, which has endured 25 years of civil war. More»

Sri Lanka president earlier declared victory

(NEWSER) - Sri Lanka's rebel Tamil Tigers have declared a ceasefire after a 26-year war in a statement lamenting thousands of deaths in the past 24 hours, the BBC reports. “This battle has reached its bitter end,” said a Tamil Tigers spokesman on the group’s website. The statement later appeared slightly altered, saying the force was “prepared to silence its guns if that is what needed by the international community to save the life and dignity of the Tamil people.” More»

(AP) - Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said today that his country had defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels on the battlefield and emerged victorious from its quarter-century civil war. "My government, with the total commitment of our armed forces, has in an unprecedented humanitarian operation finally defeated the LTTE militarily," he said, referring to the rebels by their formal name, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. More»