Sri Lankan Army on Monday captured Vannerikulam town and encircled Nachchikudha, the main sea Tiger base, after fierce fighting which left 33 soldiers dead.

Colombo – Sri Lankan troops advanced Monday into Tamil rebel-held areas in northern Sri Lanka despite heavy rains after losing at least 33 soldiers in weekend fighting, the Defence Ministry said.

The troops were trying to consolidate their positions and advance in the Akkarayankulam and Maniyankulam areas in Kilinochchi district, 370 kilometres north of Colombo.

The Defence Ministry said 33 soldiers were killed and three more were missing, while 48 more were injured in the fighting over the weekend in the same areas.

Colombo, Oct. 20: Sri Lankan troops have reportedly taken control of the strategic Tamil Tiger village of Vannerikulam, which lies west of the rebel capital Kilinochchi.

Reports reaching the Sri Lankan capital quoted army sources as saying that the village was captured on Sunday, and added that the march toward Kilinochchi has been made much easier.

No details on casualties from the battle were released. Army sources, however, said that dramatic progress has been made from a miliary offensive point of view in the northern parts of the island-nation.

Colombo, Oct 18 : Sri Lanka''s Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said that the country is fully conscious of the concerns being expressed in India over the developments in the island nation.

Bogollagama, during his talks with India''s High Commissioner Alok Prasad in Colombo on Friday, said that his country intends to further discuss and address the issue in the spirit of the ‘existing excellent bilateral relations’.

Earlier, India asked Sri Lanka to address its concerns over the humanitarian situation in the island nation.