COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, February 08, SPA -- More than 10,000 civilians have fled Sri Lanka's northern war zone over the last two days,an official said Sunday as government forces appear poisedto crush the separatist Tamil Tigers, Associated Press reported. The military's relentless offensive in recent months hasalmost routed the rebels, virtually ending their 25-yearwar for a separate Tamil nation in the Sinhalese-majoritycountry. The United Nations and aid agencies have expressed concernfor the estimated 250,000 civilians trapped in the shrinking sliver of land still controlled by the Tigers. On Sunday, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said5,000 civilians fled the war zone for government territoryFriday while another 5,600 crossed over Saturday. International organizations including the Red Cross haveurged both sides to let the noncombatants out of theconflict zone. The government accuses the rebels of holding civilians ashuman shields, a charge the rebels deny. The Red Cross said Saturday that some 400 patients arestranded in a makeshift hospital in the north. It urgedboth sides to allow patients to be evacuated. The United Nations warned Friday of a food crisis in theconflict zone, saying World Food Program stocks in the areawere gone. Sri Lanka barred nearly all aid groups from the war zonelast year. It does not allow journalists in either, makingindependent verification of the situation impossible. Some 70,000 people have died in Sri Lanka's civil war,which began in 1983.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/633577