Sri Lanka's army began observing a two-day cease-fire in the war against the cornered Tamil Tiger rebels and used loudspeakers to urge thousands of trapped civilians to escape the war zone. By the end of the day just 18 people took advantage of the lull. The two-day cease-fire took effect yesterday after

President Mahinda Rajapaksa ordered the military to restrict operations to a defensive nature only for the Sri Lankan new year. The move came amid increasing international pressure on the government to protect civilians. Government forces say they are close to crushing the 25-year separatist war after a string of battlefield victories trapped the rebels into a small strip of land in the island's north.

The UN says that more than 100,000 people are trapped along with the cornered guerrillas in a government-declared "no-fire" zone measuring just 20 square kilometres. It has said scores of civilians have been killed in the fighting. The rebels and rights groups have accused the military of firing into the safe zone, a charge the military denies. But the lull in fighting did not set off an exodus, despite loudspeaker announcements urging civilians to leave. Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said just 18 people had left the war zone by last evening.