WASHINGTON, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Friday called for peaceful dialogue between Sri Lanka's government and the Tamil Tiger rebels after Colombo announced the conquer of the rebel headquarters in the town of Kilinochchi in the north of the tiny Indian Ocean island country.

    "The Sri Lankan government now seems to have made a gain through a military gain," State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid told reporters.

    "We would also like to see that the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil opposition enter into a discussion that will resolve the legitimate issues held by the Tamils," Duguid said, adding that "the differences they have should be resolved peacefully."

    The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels have been fighting over three decades separatist war to set up a separate Tamil homeland in the north and east of the country. More than 70,000 people have died in the conflict since 1980s.

    The LTTE rebels have lost large areas of geographical control to the advancing government troops since mid 2007.

Lanka troops take over rebel headquarters

A handout from the Sri Lankan Defence Ministry said Sri Lanka's government troops entering the town of Paranthan. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    COLOMBO, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's government troops on Friday wrested from rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) control the town of Kilinochchi, their former administrative headquarters, the government military sources said.

    The Sri Lanka Army headquarters sources said the troops had entered the town of Kilinochchi from three directions Friday morning and have taken control of all major locations. Full story

2 killed, over 30 injured in Sri Lankan capital blast 


    COLOMBO, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 2 airforce personnel died while 32 were injured in a suspected suicide bomb explosion in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Friday, police said.

    A Tamil Tiger suicide bomber had tried to enter Sri Lanka's Airforce headquarters at Chittampalam Gardiner Mawatha in Colombo's Slave Island sector at around 5 p.m. local time (1130 GMT). He had blown himself up, killing two airforce sentries and causing injuries to over 30 others. Full story