Colombo: Spurred by the capture of the LTTE s de facto capital Kilinochchi, Sri Lankan troops today went into a hot pursuit of Tamil Tigers launching a ground and air assault on their last bastion Mullaittivu on the east coast.

Mullaittivu is stated to be the military headquarters of the LTTE and where Sri Lankan military brass suspects that the LTTE leadership including its supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran may be hiding.

"The battle for Mullaittivu has already begun," the Sri Lankan army chief Sarath Fonseka said indicating that his forces were closing on the coastal town, which is also the headquarters of sea tigers.

He said troops had captured 800-yards of a massive defensive bund and the army was just 5 kms south of the town and 3 kms south of the LTTE's main air strip also located there.

Simultaneously, the army has launched another strong pincer to seize the strategic Elephant Pass, which would give Sri Lankans a surface link to the Tamil dominated Jaffna province.

"Sri Lankan fighters heavily bombed the retreating Tiger rebels all the way to Mullaittivu," Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said.

He said MI-24 helicopter gunships were providing close air support to the troops advancing to capture the Elephant Pass.

Troops are just two kms away from the Elephant Pass, Fonseka said, indicating that the fall of the Tiger bastion was imminent.

"Troops of Army Task Force 1 are marching into the strategically vital Elephant Pass town," according to defence sources.
Source : PTI