Tiger rebels resisting despite calls to surrender

Tamil Tiger rebels encircled in a tiny strip of land by Sri Lankan troops are still putting up stiff resistance despite calls for their surrender, the military said yesterday.

The army said the guerrillas controlled a mere 10-12 square kilometers of territory on the northeast coast, where thousands of civilians are still trapped by the fighting.

President Mahinda Rajapakse has told the rebels to give up. The UN Security Council president also said Wednesday that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam must now give up.