Sri Lankan forces reclaim rebel town ...........

Sri Lankan forces reclaim rebel town. (CNN) -- Sri Lankan security forces reclaimed a rebel-dominated town in the northern part of the island nation, a military commander announced Tuesday. An undated picture shows Tamil Tiger rebels in Kilinochchi during a confrontation with the army. An undated picture shows Tamil Tiger rebels in Kilinochchi during a confrontation with the army.

The town of Mankulam -- about 187 miles from the capital, Colombo -- sits along the highway to Kilinochchi, once the center of political power for the Tamil Tiger rebels. In Kilinochchi, rebels ran their own quasi-administration with a makeshift police force, court, tax system and prisons. Those institutions were dismantled after Sri Lankan forces launched a major military offensive to recapture rebel strongholds.

The takeover of Mankulam came less than a week after Sri Lankan troops recaptured the northern village of Pooneryn -- a significant strategic move that enabled troops to secure control of the west coast, preventing rebels importing supplies from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a military spokesman said. The Tamil Tigers were founded in 1976. The U.S. State Department designated the group a foreign terrorist organization in 1997.-From Iqbal Athas
CNN