21.   Government troops fought their way toward the heart of Jaffna City Thursday against Tamil guerrillas holding out in the besieged rebel stronghold.

22.   Government forces are fighting Tamil guerrillas who want to carve out a separate homeland for their community in the island nation.

23.   Government warplanes strafed Tamil Tiger rebel positions in northern Sri Lanka on Wednesday after a skirmish between soldiers and Tamil guerrillas, military officials said.

24.   Government troops launched a major offensive Sunday against Tamil guerrillas in northern Sri Lanka, military officials said.

25.   He refused to say how many Tamil guerrillas lay down their arms during the military operation that began in October.

26.   He said the Tamil guerrillas often claim that civilians have died in battles to conceal rebel deaths.

27.   However, opposition Tamil political groups walked out of Parliament, complaining that the reforms did not focus on ending the ethnic conflict with Tamil guerrillas.

28.   Imprisoned Tamil guerrillas have escaped from various jails in Tamil Nadu state nine times in eight years.

29.   In Jaffna Peninsula in northern Sri Lanka early Tuesday, troops beat back a Tamil guerrilla counterattack on soldiers who had advanced into rebel-held territory this week.

30.   It is not clear whether the Ellalan Force is allied with the Tamil guerrillas.