Courageous political leadership given by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the correct military leadership given to the Security Forces were the principal reasons behind the historic victories achieved in the struggle to defeat terrorism, said Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa participating in a live telecast yesterday evening.

by Shamindra Ferdinando 

The army offensive on the Vanni front has reached a decisive stage with troops opening up escape routes for civilians trapped in the war zone, east of the A9. 

The 58 and 55 Divisions had punched holes in the rapidly deteriorating LTTE defence on the eastern flank, thereby allowing civilians to reach the army, directing operations against the shrinking last enemy stronghold.

Source: Reuters 

By C. Bryson Hull  

COLOMBO, Jan 14 (Reuters) -- Sri Lanka's military has cornered the Tamil Tiger separatist rebels in the northeastern jungles of the Indian Ocean island, leading many to foresee an end to a 25-year war that is one of Asia's longest-running.  

But foreign diplomats, including neighbouring India, have long demanded a so-called political solution to the grievances of Sri Lanka's Tamil ethnic minority, and say there will be no lasting peace without it.

Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon will visit Sri Lanka from January 16-17 as part of a tour of South Asia after the Mumbai terror attack, a top official of the Foreign Ministry said yesterday.  

He is expected to call on President Mahinda Rajapaksa and hold bi-lateral talks with Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.