Forces after clearing the area from the clutches of the LTTE Pic.
By Rukmal Gamage (Photo from Daily News)

Sri Lanka Tightens Snare On Tigers And Rebel Leader -- Reuters

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka is tightening the snare around the Tamil Tigers and their elusive leader with air raids and a sea blockade in an offensive that is fast taking the separatist rebels' last territory, the military said on Tuesday.

Air force jets hit a jungle hideout often used by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) founder Vellupillai Prabhakaran on Monday night, the air force said. The air force said the target had been hit, but it was not clear if Prabhakaran was there.

The Tigers could not be reached for comment. But the pro-rebel web site www.TamilNet.com reported that the military was targeting civilians with artillery attacks, which the military denies.

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More News On The Sri Lankan War

Army pressures Tamil Tiger base -- BBC
Sri Lanka launches air strikes on Tamil rebels -- AFP
Sri Lankan troops step up pressure on rebels -- China View
Sri Lankan jets pound rebel positions in the north -- International Herald Tribune
Slain journalist's 'J'accuse' ignites furor in Sri Lanka -- Toronto Star
A tale of two distant war zones -- Toronto Star opinion

India Warns Sri Lanka It Might Not Win War With Rebels: Report

Sri Lankan soldiers inspect a three wheeler taxi in Colombo on August 2. Sri Lankan security forces have stepped up attacks against Tamil Tiger rebels in the island's north, leaving at least 44 guerrillas dead for the loss of two soldiers, the military said Monday. (AFP/File/Ishara S. Kodikara)

From Yahoo News/AFP:

SINGAPORE (AFP) - India has warned neighbouring Sri Lanka that it may not be able to win an ongoing war against separatist Tamil Tiger rebels despite recent military gains, a report said Tuesday.

Indian National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan told the Straits Times newspaper that Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had been weakened but retained the ability to stage terror strikes.

"Our argument is: unless you give Tamils a feeling they have the right to their own destiny in many matters, you will not succeed. (The) LTTE's capacity to carry out terrorist attacks is not diminished," he said.

"The (Sri Lankan army) has made a lot of progress in the last few weeks," Narayanan said. "But even if they win the battle, I am not sure they will win the war.

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More News On Sri Lanka

India warns Sri Lanka it might not win war with rebels: report -- AFP
Majority in TN supports LTTE -- The Statesman
Sri Lanka doesn’t have Tamils on its side: India -- Thaindian News
Sri Lanka's war planes bomb Tamil rebels -- International Herald Tribune
Sri Lanka says kills 115 Tiger rebels in fresh fighting -- Reuters
Fierce clashes in north Sri Lanka -- BBC
Sri Lanka fighting kills another 32, mostly rebels -- Reuters
Understanding the Terrorist War in Sri Lanka -- Lanka Web

My Comment: The Indian report is probably right. The Tamil rebellion will continue until the Sri Lankan Government is able to come to some political accommodation with a portion of the Tamil community. But for the moment ... there is no one on the scene.