Civilians flee Sri Lanka fighting

More than 1,500 civilians have fled the fighting in northern Sri Lanka on Tuesday, the government says.Tens of thousands of civilians have been trapped in a narrow stretch of land along the island's northeast coast where government troops are fighting rebels from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).A government statement said that 1,515 people, including about 650 children, had crossed into military-controlled areas late on Tuesday near Puthkkudiyirippu, where fighting has been raging for weeks.Tamilnet, the pro-Tamil website, said the Sri Lankan army had shelled areas within the so-called safety zone early on Tuesday morning, killing 62 civilians and causing many injuires.The Tamilnet report said more than 250 civilians have been admitted to a makeshift hospital in Puthkkudiyirippu.The government said Puthkkudiyirippu is one of the last areas held by the LTTE, who have been fighting since 1983 for a separate homeland for ethnic Tamils in the island's north and east.