The Ceylon News

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has met with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and urged him and the Sri Lankan Government to put a cease-fire in place.

Bogollagama is reported to have told Miliband and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner that Colombo is doing everything possible to save innocent Tamil civilians trapped in a six kilometre area along with the rebel LTTE in the northern part of the country.

He also rejected suggestions that LTTE chief Vellupillai Prabhakaran has escaped from the country, and added that his concern was for the civilian population and not for Prabhakaran.

The British and French foreign ministers are on a one-day trip to Sri Lanka amid efforts to secure a truce between the army and rebels.Miliband and Kouchner will meet top officials and visit an area where displaced people are living in camps.

The Ministers are to visit Vavuniya, where many of the displaced people are living

Earlier, the Sri Lankan Government barred the entry of Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, prompting the Scandanevian nation to recall its envoy for consultations.

The Czech presidency of the EU called the decision a "grave mistake".

Sri Lanka has had tense relations with the Scandinavian former monitors of its peace process, though its main problems have been with the former principal mediator, Norway.

Sri Lanka said it was taken by surprise by the EU''s strong reaction over Bildt, who it said would be welcome to visit next month.

The British and French ministers were visiting at the foreign ministry''s invitation, while very little notice of Bildt''s plans had been given, a Sri Lankan official said.

The Sri Lankan military has restricted Tamil Tiger rebels to a six sq km (5 sq miles) area of land in the north of the islands and believes it is close to defeating them.

Tens of thousands of civilians have been trapped in the area, and the EU and the UN have urged Sri Lanka to observe a pause in its campaign to let them out.

Sri Lankan Navy Wednesday thwarted a Sea Tiger attack by destroying six LTTE vessels which approached the coastal area of the no-fire zone off Mullaittivu coast and killed 25 rebels.

The Sri Lanka Navy thwarted an LTTE attack on ground troops in the seas off Mullaittivu early this morning," the Naval officials said.

A flotilla of six small vessels, including four suicide boats, attacked the troops in Vallaimullivaikal area in the no-fire zone, officials said.

The naval troops retaliated and destroyed all the six boats, they said, adding at least 25 Sea Tigers were killed in the operation.

On Monday, Sri Lankan Navy had destroyed a LTTE boat and killed four rebels in the same region.

Sri Lankan army yesterday breached two Tigers defensive fortifications in the no-fire zone and killed nine rebels.

The 58th division of the Sri Lankan Army has reportedly captured another LTTE post in Rettavaikkal.

Army officials said that the Rettavaikkal is a tactically important location considering the LTTE''s hold has been reduced to less than six square kilometers of territory.

The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry has denied claims that LTTE chief V Prabhakaran has escaped via sea routes. It said that the LTTE chief has been restricted to a small 6km long strip being held by the Tamil Tigers.

According to reports, the army continues to mount pressure on the Tamil Tigers breaking through their two defensive fortifications in the no-fire zone on Tuesday.

Army sources said that they are yet to capture LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran.

The Sri Lankan Government has clarified that there is no ceasefire, though heavy combat operations have ended.

In India, the Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Noble Thamburaj and the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sureesh Mehta, have said that a watch is being kept on the southern and eastern coasts to prevent the entry of escaping LTTE rebels. The Southern Naval Command and the Coast Guard have been placed on alert to counter the LTTE threat, said Lt. General Thamburaj.

In another development British Foreign Secretary David Mikliband has met his Sri Lankan counterpart and pressed for a safer evacuation of innocent Tamil civilians.