Intensifying their offensive to push the Tamil Tigers out of their last stretch of land,the Sri Lankan troops on Friday killed at least 47 rebels,including two top commanders and captured a strategic area in Pudukudiyirippu,officials said on Friday. Two top LTTE commanders,Gobith and Amuthab,who headed a special unit named after Prabhakaran's son Charles Antony, were killed in fierce fighting in which troops wrested the village of Anandapuram,Defence Ministry sources said. The LTTE had been putting up a stiff resistance to prevent the Army from taking over the village which was its last road link for bringing in supplies and logistics. Police commanders attacked a group of Tigers in Sri Lanka's East killing 13 rebels. The battle in the forests near eastern Ampara district was fiercely fought for hours. Sources said that LTTE's explosive expert Paramanantha master was among the dead. Sri Lanka has driven out the Tigers from the eastern province,but officials said that pockets of Tiger resistance still remained. As the war between the government forces and the Tigers appears to be entering the last stages,more civilians trapped in the battle zone are coming over to the government-fixed IDP zones.
