The Sri Lankan army has dismissed this weekend a new ceasefire offered by pro-independence Tamil fighters as the Sinhalese consider they are near defeat. However, as a result of the pressure by the international community and the visit of a UN envoy to the island, Sri Lanka has announced it will stop shelling the strip of land where the last Tamil militants are currently boxed, an area in which thousands of civilians are also taking refuge. Colombo thus intends to disguise the military offensive as a humanitarian civilian-rescuing operation.

Tamil sources, though, have informed that there were air strikes on Monday night, an accusation which has been denied by the Sinhalese army. TamilNet, an online journal with close ties with the Tigers, has said there still are about 160,000 civilians caught in the area and that international community "inaction" may cause 10,000 casualties. Sri Lankan sources differ from the figures issued by Tamils. They have established the number of civilians trapped to only 15.000 or 20,000, as they assure they have managed to "rescue" 113,000 people. As it can be seen, the stage is set for a media war on figures.

Mild international reaction
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief coordinator, John Holmes, has been in Sri Lanka and declared after his meeting with President Mahinda Rajapakse that Sri Lanka had not agreed "to allow a humanitarian mission into the war zone". Since the intensification of the military campaign, the Sinhalese army has banned correspondents and diplomatic and medical staff from entering the warring zone. According to AFP, John Holmes was "disappointed" for not being allowed Colombo's permission to visit the area, and put the number of civilians trapped at 50,000.

French, British and Swedish Ministers for foreign affairs are to travel to the island this week to push for a solution for civilians.

Further information:

• BBC: Sri Lanka army 'to stop shelling'
• AlertNet: Sri Lanka says combat gives way to rescue
• AFP: Le Sri Lanka refuse à l'ONU d'entrer en zone de guerre, ralentit l'offensive
• TamilNet: Inaction may cause 10,000 casualties: SOS appeal to powers
• Nationalia: Tamil Tigers call for a ceasefire as Sri Lanka prepares final army offensive, About 250,000 civilians remain trapped in Tamil Eelam as Sri Lanka's troops and Tamil Tigers fight on.