The more than one-hour long drive from Kilinochchi, former political capital of the rebels, to Pudukudiyyiruppu revealed scenes of total devastation due to the more than a quarter century of civil war, as the armoured vehicle passed through deserted villages.
An elderly man, who managed to give a slip to the security forces, and spoke to the media persons, said both sides were shelling them. "We are under attack from both sides," he said.
Image: Government soldiers and the LTTE rebels continue to fight the apparent endgame of Asia's longest-running war despite calls to protect an estimated 50,000 civilians still trapped in an area controlled by the LTTE.
Photograph: David Gray/Reuters
Also see: 'Mullaithivu, Kilinochchi are ghost towns'