Sri Lankan forces captured a key northern crossroads from the Tamil Tiger rebels, the military said Thursday. In recent weeks, government forces have captured most of the Tamil Tigers' de facto state in the north and forced the rebels to retreat to a small patch of jungle and villages in the northeast. Ground troops overran the Vishwamadu junction Wednesday afternoon after heavy fighting with the rebels, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said. The junction, just outside the village of Vishwamadu, lies along one of the few major roads remaining in rebel-held territory, Associated Press reported.
