Lanka: Tigers lose Elephant Pass

In a major success, the Sri Lankan troops today seized the strategic Elephant Pass, the gateway to the Jaffna peninsula, dislodging the Tamil Tigers from their key bastion a week after capturing the rebels' de facto capital Kilinochcci in the island nation's embattled north.

Announcing the capture of Elephant Pass in a nationally televised address, President Mahinda Rajapakse [ Images ] said the security forces have registered "another historic victory".

He said the Tigers have been "completely dislodged" from the Elephant Pass and the security forces established their authority there.

In a statement, the defence ministry also said that Elephant Pass "is now under the total control of security forces."

The capture of the Pass frees the entire Jaffna-Kandy A9 road from the LTTE [ Images ].

Sri Lankans in Colombo celebrated the seizure of the strategic pass by bursting crackers.