Madhu said captured

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 1999, 14:06 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers captured Madhu town in the Mannar district this afternoon according to sources in Vavuniya town today. The Liberation Tigers however did not say they had taken control of Madhu in a state released earlier today, but said the Catholic pilgrimage town was surrounded.

Sources in Vavuniya told TamilNet by telephone that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) units had pulled out of the Madhu area, ahead of the LTTE's resumed offensive.

The LTTE could not be reached for comment.

The Tigers have captured several towns in the Vanni from the SLA in the past few weeks, in an offensive code-named 'Unceasing Waves 3'

Independent verification of events in the island's war zones is not possible as journalists are not permitted to enter, unless accompagnied by the Sri Lankan military.