Sri Lanka pledges safe passage for civilians
[Reuters]
A U.N. convoy carrying hundreds of people wounded in shelling between Tamil Tiger rebels and the Sri Lankan military left the war zone on Thursday after being held back two days ago, the United Nations said. “The convoy just crossed the frontline with hundreds of the civilians wounded by the fighting, including 50 critically wounded children, who are being moved to a Ministry of Health hospital,” U.N. spokesman Gordon Weiss said. Sri Lankan troops energised by a series of major victories have cornered the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a shrinking piece of jungle and are fighting to finish one of Asia’s longest-running wars.