WORLD BRIEFING / SRI LANKA

Sri Lankan forces said they had captured the Tamil Tigers’ biggest sea base, in effect cutting off the rebels’ supply point and pushing them to the brink of defeat. The government rejected calls for a cease-fire now that the end of the war appears near, despite mounting evidence of civilian casualties.

“No force can stop this operation. Government forces have already achieved significant victories against the terrorists,” Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake told Parliament. He said the government would accept only an unconditional surrender by the Tamil Tigers, who have fought a 25-year war for a separate Tamil homeland.