Colombo, Feb3 : The Sri Lankan Defense Ministry declared on Tuesday that its troops have captured a two-storey deep underground bunker complex believed to have been occupied by Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran.

The bunker was found in a coconut plantation in Mullaittivu District and has electricity generators, air conditioning and medical supplies.

Twenty rebels died while trying to defend the bunker.

However, there was no sign of Prabhakaran''s presence. The military believes that he has fled from the island by boat.

The government claims that it is on the brink of achieving a total victory against the rebels, who have been demanding a separate Tamil nation on the Sinhalese majority island.

On February 2, military troops said they had found a palatial mansion that was used by Prabhakaran.

It was said that the two-storeyed fully furnished residential mansion with four separately air conditioned spacious rooms had a firing range outside the building, which Prabhakaran used for training along with his top-rung leaders. (ANI)