Sri Lankan troops broke through Tamil Tiger defenses on Tuesday and the government brushed off Western criticism of civilian deaths as part of a rebel-orchestrated bid for a last-minute reprieve. The rebels, cornered in a coastal strip where they have held tens of thousands of civilians, for a third day accused the military of shelling the 2.5 square km (1 sq mile) no-fire zone, this time killing 45 people. Fury, blame and recriminations from both sides have flared in the closing days of Asia's longest modern war, after the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said hundreds of civilians were killed in artillery barrages starting on Sunday. The Sri Lankan military on Tuesday said soldiers and Special Forces troops had advanced across a narrow causeway into the south of the no-fire zone, leaving the Tigers surrounded on all sides and opening another escape route for civilians. UN aid agencies are shipping food and medical supplies through Sri Lanka's health ministry and other official gateways, to help those who have fled. Emily Casella of the World Food Programme said many of the civilians fleeing the war zone appeared “significantly undernourished,” having gone for days without proper meals. LTTE peace secretariat head Seevaratnam Puleedevan said that the army had attacked a makeshift hospital on Tuesday, killing 45 people. Sri Lanka denied responsibility, accusing the LTTE of generating “shock and outrage at supposed atrocities” by forcing government-employed doctors in the war zone to give out false death tolls. “Giving credence and acceptance to this LTTE-inspired piece of ‘news', would wittingly or unwittingly aid the terrorist organization to save itself at the hour of its impending demise,” a government statement said. The global financial crisis has hit dollar inflows from Sri Lanka's tea, garment and diasporas employment sectors, while it struggles with rising import costs and a falling rupee currency. However, the Security Council has said Sri Lanka should not be punished with the IMF loan, and the EU trade preference is under investigation.
