Colombo  - A private radio and television station on the outskirts of Sri Lanka's capital has been attacked by an armed gang that inflicted extensive damage to the studio complex and interrupted its broadcasts, a spokesman for the station said Tuesday.

A gang of 15 to 20 men stormed the Maharaja TV and Maharaja Broadcasting Corporation at Pannipitiya, 20 kilometres south-east of the Colombo, holding the staff at gunpoint and assaulting some of them before causing the damage early Tuesday, the spokesman said.

Colombo, Jan. 5 : Sri Lankan troops on Monday claimed that they had captured a part of the highly strategic Elephant Pass, a causeway that links northern Jaffna to the mainland.

Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara was quoted as saying that the southern part of the causeway fell to government troops advancing northwards from Kilinochchi, the political headquarters of the Tamil Tigers, which was captured by the army on Friday.

Meanwhile, the LTTE said they have killed 53 soldiers in the north of the island where the army is trying to capture rebel strongholds.

Colombo, Jan 5: The Chief Executive of the Sri Lankan cricket board, Duleep Mendis, has ruled out the impression that Sri Lanka together with India is ignoring Pakistan to ensure a series with India.

No final talk with Pakistan was held on the schedule of the tour of Pakistan; Geo News quoted Duleep Mendis, as saying.

Earlier, Mendis had promised the Chief Operating Officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Saleem Altaf, that he would finalise the schedule by Sunday, but the Sri Lankan cricket board failed to give a reply to the PCB on Sunday.

Colombo  - A strategic town held by Tamil rebels in northern Sri Lanka was taken into the control of government forces Sunday as they continued an advance into rebel-held areas, military officials

Colombo, Jan. 3 : A day after capturing the LTTE's administrative headquarters at Kilinochchi, Sri Lankan forces are moving northwards the town of Mullaitivu.

The Sri Lankan defence ministry said that the troops were moving towards Mullaitivu to fight a battle against the rebels and recapture the northern town. LTTE rebels are known to have military facilities in Mullaitivu, the BBC reports.

Earlier, LTTE received a heavy blow on Friday after losing town of Kilinochchi.

Chennai, Jan 3: Tamil Nationalist Movement (TNM) leader Pazha Nedumaran has said that the Sri Lankan Army''s capture of Kilinochchi would intensify the LTTE''s movement in Sri Lanka.

"As the Kilinochchi is captured by the Sinhalese Army, it does not mean that the LTTE will stop the war, but it will be more dangerous to the Sinhalese Government. So far the LTTE followed the traditional way of fighting straight to straight but now they will go for guerrilla fight and no one can blame for this," said opined Nedumaran.

Further, he said that the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse had dishonoured the ceasefire with the LTTE and it is now difficult to predict the future outcome of present crisis.