Sri Lanka’s Defense Ministry informed of the capture of Adampan town in northern Mannar district as a result of the two-hour fighting that took place Friday. There were seventeen casualties, among which fifteen Tamil Tigers rebels.

"They had built fortified connected bunkers in the area. The area had to be liberated for people to settle down there," said brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, as cited by BBC News.

Officials assert this is an outset in defeating and stopping guerilla actions in the area, because this capture will block guerilla movement and will harden their transportation of arms and supplies. They foreshadow to succeed annihilating rebels’ intentions and undertakings by the end of this year, as the International Herald Tribune informs.

One of the most noticeable recent event of this sort took place in April, when 49 rebels were killed.

They represent about 11% of the population, while the Sinhalese represent almost 74%.

The rebels haven’t made any declaration yet, as they couldn’t be reached.

These fights began four months ago and have the territories around the rebels’ bastions as cause and stake, as members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam want a homeland in Sri Lanka. The Tamil minority has been marginalized by successive governments controlled by the majority.

There have been more than 3,000 victims on the side of Tamil Tigers and 242 on the side of Sri Lanka’s army since January. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the civil war which began in 1983.