Tigers take key town from renegades

Military sources said the main Tamil Tiger force took complete control over the town of Vakarai Saturday, but even before that the breakaway faction had withdrawn from the area.

Tiger columns have been pushing southwards on positions of V. Muralitharan, better known as Karuna, who broke from the rebels accusing them of ignoring the interests of Tamils in eastern Sri Lanka.

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Karuna's faction said nine of its fighters were killed and 10 wounded while another 300 surrendered or were captured by the main Tiger group.

Military sources, however, placed the number of fatalities on both sides at about 20. At least two civilians -- an ambulance driver and a paramedic -- were also killed in the crossfire.

In its first statement since launching the offensive Friday, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said it was seeking to "expel" Karuna for actions against the movement and Sri Lanka's Tamil minority.

"We have begun a coordinated operation to expel Karuna from the Tamil homeland," the LTTE statement said. "Several fighters under Karuna's command have deserted their posts and are returning to join us."

"To prevent unnecessary bloodshed, we urge other fighters also to leave Karuna to join with us. We also urge the parents of fighters still under control of Karuna to obtain their children's release without allowing them to be used by Karuna for his traitorous acts."

Karuna broke away on March 3, taking with him about 5,000 to 6,000 cadres who made up about a third of the fighters of the Tigers, who have been waging a three-decade campaign for a separate Tamil homeland.

Government military sources said the Tigers were consolidating possibly to launch a fresh drive against Karuna who has retreated to his jungle bases in the Batticaloa district, just south of Trincomalee.

Meanwhile, the United Nations agency for children Sunday asked Sri Lanka's warring Tiger rebels to free child soldiers amid reports that young boys and girls had been killed and wounded in the fighting.

Unicef said it was investigating reports that child combatants had been deployed in the factional fighting which erupted in eastern Sri Lanka Friday between the main Tiger forces and a breakaway group.