Colombo - Refugees streamed out of the shrinking Tamil rebel-held areas again Wednesday as government troops tightened a cordon around the zone in north-eastern Sri Lanka, military spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said.

Rambukwella told journalists that 81,420 civilian refugees had been counted since Monday in the Puthumathalan area, about 390 kilometres north-east of the capital, and the exodus was continuing.

Colombo, Apr. 22 : Two top leaders of the rebel Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Ealam (LTTE) have surrendered before the Sri Lanka Army in Puthumathalam.

According to a Times Now report, Daya Master and George surrendered before officers of the 58th Division of the Sri Lankan Army.

Daya Master and George were part of the LTTE supreme V. Prabhakaran’s inner circle, and were key spokesmen of the rebel outfit.

New Delhi, Apr 22 : Pushing forward his demand for an immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has called for a 12-hour strike in Chennai on Thursday.

Late on Tuesday night, Karunanidhi issued a final appeal and asked all Tamils, irrespective of their political affiliations, to join the strike.

He justified his decision saying that besides asking the Centre to demand a permanent ceasefire, the strike was also for sympathising with the plight of Tamils in that country.

Colombo, Apr. 21: Though there are no comments on the pro-rebel Web site that the movement uses to issue its statements, official communiqués and news reports, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Tuesday said that it would not surrender to the Sri Lanka armed forces, and added that their leader V. Prabhakaran was still alive and directing the counter-offensive in Puthumattalam despite an army noon deadline for surrender.

“We will never surrender and will fight till we can. The international community must intervene in the issue,” a statement reportedly issued by the rebel outfit said.

Colombo, Apr. 21: The Sri Lankan Army has begun its final assault on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Puthumattalam on Tuesday after Army's deadline for surrender of LTTE Chief Velupillai Prabhakaran ended at noon.

Puthumattalam is the last LTTE sand bund to be captured by Sri Lanka Army.

Sri Lankan Defence Secretary, Gotbaya Rajapakse categorically said today the Prabhakaran will now have to surrender or perish.

Colombo : Civilians fled Tamil rebel-held areas in north-eastern Sri Lanka for a second-consecutive day Tuesday, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.

He said the exact number of civilians who arrived from the rebel-held areas in Puthumathalan, 390 kilometres north-east of Colombo were not known but people were continuing to arrive in military-controlled areas.

On Monday, a record 39,081 civilians fled the rebel-held area using land and sea routes, he said.

The military facilitated their escape by breaking through earthworks put up by the separatist rebels to prevent security forces from entering.