Sri Lankan troops take last coastline held by Tigers: military

May 16, 2009 (AFP) - Sri Lankan troops on Saturday captured the last patch of coastline held by the Tamil Tigers and the rebels would shortly be left without any territory, a top military source said.

Two divisions of soldiers that had been fighting along the coastline from the southern and northern ends of the remaining rebel territory linked up on Saturday morning, the official said.

"The Tigers still have a few square kilometres (miles) of land, but not the use of the beach front," he said, adding that the rest of the rebel-held territory would be taken soon.