COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Troops seized a strategic village from separatist Tamil Tiger rebels following a two-month battle, moving the government a step closer to capturing the militants’ de facto capital in northern Sri Lanka, the military said Monday. The battle for Vannerikulam village, about 15 miles west of the rebel capital Kilinochchi, was challenging because the rebels had erected a six-mile-long dirt mound from which they had a clear view of the surrounding territory, the military said in a statement. Full Story