Tigers defeat breakaway faction

Women fighters of the mainstream Tamil Tigers mark the victory

The main faction of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels is now reportedly in full control of eastern areas after defeating a breakaway group.

The renegade leader, Colonel Karuna, is said to have fled the area and his forces have dispersed.

The main faction also freed more than 100 child soldiers who had been with Col Karuna's group.

The colonel broke away last month and fighting between the two factions erupted on Friday.

The freeing of the child soldiers was the biggest single release of underage combatants in Sri Lanka's long conflict.

Map of the disputed region

The UN Children's Fund, Unicef, oversaw the release in the town of Vakarai amid emotional scenes between the child soldiers and parents.

Hagrup Haukland, deputy head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, said monitors met the man the Tigers have installed as Col Karuna's replacement, Ramesh, in the area on Monday.

We don't know where [Karuna] is, but if he asks for protection, we can give him it General Lionel Balagalle, armed forces head

"Ramesh met our monitors to re-establish communication with the [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]. The meeting was good. We are back on track again," said Mr Haukland.

Thousands of people have now returned home after a weekend of factional clashes.

Sukumar Rockwood, spokesman for the Red Cross, said it had visited the area and "found the situation returning to normal and that there is no conflict at all".

The BBC's Anna Horsbrugh-Porter in Colombo says it appears the most serious challenge to Velupillai Prabhakaran's leadership of the Tamil Tigers in over 30 years has been effectively quashed.

Protection offer

The whereabouts and fate of Col Karuna are still unknown.

Some reports say he has fled his main base in Thoppigala, 120km (75 miles) north of the capital, Colombo.

Karuna wants a separate rebel administration in eastern Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's authorities say they will consider giving him protection if he asks for it.

Armed forces head, General Lionel Balagalle, said: "We don't know where he is, but if he asks for protection, we can give him [it]. This has been our policy and we will stick to it."

Factional fighting erupted last Friday when the northern group crossed the Verugal river, which had been the de facto border between the two parties, and advanced south through Kathiraveli to Vakarai.

The mainstream faction also launched another drive from Amparai, south of Batticaloa.

On Monday, the breakaway group abandoned its huge base at Meenaham.

Military officials said cadres of Col Karuna's faction then surrendered at a local military camp and at police stations.

Military sources said the deaths in the fighting could have been larger than rebels admitted and the losses may have sparked Col Karuna's submission.

Col Karuna declared his own separate administration in the east a month ago.

He cited northern discrimination against the eastern wing as his motivation.

Last Friday's violence flared up just days after a new government was elected.

The administration has vowed to restart peace talks with the Tamil Tigers, which stalled when the rebels pulled out last April.

FIGHTING IN THE EAST

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