COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, May 02, SPA -- Sri Lankan soldiers killed 14 Tamil Tiger rebels in the latest gun battles in theinsurgents' ever-shrinking northern territory, amid growinginternational pressure to safeguard 50,000 civilianstrapped in the war zone, Associated Press reported. The military has ousted the rebels from all theirstrongholds in recent months and cornered them in a3-mile-long (5-kilometer-long) strip along the northeasterncoast. But international pressure has grown for a cease-fire toprotect 50,000 ethnic Tamil civilians trapped in the areafollowing a U.N. report that nearly 6,500 civilians havebeen killed in the last three months. Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said armytroops pushed further into the rebels' remaining territoryon Friday, triggering gun battles that killed at least 14insurgents. He did not provide details of casualtiessuffered by the government forces.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/660037