Sri Lankan troops enter no fire zone

Sri Lankan troops nearing the end of their campaign against Tamil Tigers have entered the no-fire zone in the north, state radio reported Saturday.
Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in its main English news bulletin said the army's 58 division led by Brigadier Shavendra Silva had entered Puttumatalan no-fire zone Friday evening.
However, the military is yet to officially confirm the troops' entry to the government declared no-fire zone for the safety of over 100,000 civilians from the minority Tamil community.
The army's 58, 53, 59 and task force eight divisions have been surrounding the area since Wednesday when the government announced its final notice to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels to surrender and allow civilians to escape for safety.