Sri Lankan civilians who managed to escape from Tamil-held territory gather at the military-controlled village of Omanthai. Sri Lanka ruled out an amnesty for the Tamil Tiger leader as troops pressed a final offensive against the cornered rebels despite a global outcry over the plight of civilians trapped in the war zone.
(AFP)

Hundreds of Sri Lankan civilians used small fishing boats to escape from the Tamil-held areas of the island. Sri Lanka ruled out an amnesty for the Tamil Tiger leader as troops pressed a final offensive against the cornered rebels despite a global outcry over the plight of civilians trapped in the war zone.
(AFP/Sri Lanka Navy)

Civilians arrive at the village of Putumatalan in Puthukkudiyirippu, northern Sri Lanka April 22, 2009 after fleeing an area still controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the 'No Fire Zone'. Thousands more civilians surged out of Sri Lanka's war zone on Wednesday while soldiers and Tamil Tiger rebels fought the apparent endgame of Asia's longest-running war despite calls to protect those still trapped. Picture taken April 22, 2009.
REUTERS/Stringer (SRI LANKA POLITICS CONFLICT)