From correspondents in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 09:33 AM IST

Sri Lanka's military have taken the final strip of coast held by Tamil Tigers, the defence ministry said Saturday.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have now been driven back to an area of less than 1 sq km in the north-east and for the first time have no access to the sea, the ministry said.

The LTTE has been fighting for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka's minority Tamils for the past quarter century.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)