THE United Nations said yesterday that “many” civilians have been killed in recent fighting in Sri Lanka’s civil war and called the situation for thousands of displaced people trapped in the northern conflict zone a crisis.

Sri Lanka’s military said its forces have entered the Tamil Tiger rebels’ last stronghold of Mullaittivu in the country’s north-east.

Sri Lankans raised flags and held a moment of silence today in honour of the military, as troops pushed deeper into rebel-held territory in the north in their offensive aimed at crushing the Tamil Tigers and ending the 25-year-old civil war in the country.