31.   On Tuesday, the rebels claimed that the military advance had been halted and that they had destroyed three battle tanks.

32.   The blockade also suggests that the Taliban have little hope of making military advances and are now trying to squeeze the government through economic means.

33.   The guerrillas claimed Friday the military advance into Jaffna had been halted.

34.   The military advance has led thousands to flee their homes.

35.   The guerrillas claimed Friday that the military advance into Jaffna had been halted.

36.   The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam also claimed that the military advance was beaten back.

37.   The military advance into the city could be a blow to the rebels, who are widely regarded as one of the most fierce guerrilla groups in the world.

38.   The rebels played their negotiation card after two weeks of rapid military advances in which they captured most key towns in eastern Congo and the west.

39.   The rebels have offered little resistance to the latest military advance, and are fleeing to jungles in the mainland where they have established a new stronghold.

40.   He said the LTTE fired a barrage of locally made mortar bombs to slow down the military advance.