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Yesterday, the Sri Lankan government declared victory in the 26-year civil war against ethnic Tamil rebels. After such a protracted struggle, many Sri Lankans know nothing but fighting; healing the nation will take a long time. Will the thousands who've fled the country come back? Today The Takeaway looks at the Tamil diaspora here in the U.S. We are joined by Ahilan Kadirgamar, a spokesman with the Sri Lanka Democracy Forum, a diaspora network pushing for a political solution in Sri Lanka. He's also a fellow at the Asia Society.

Here's M.I.A., who is probably the most famous Tamil in the world, on the Tavis Smiley show discussing the civil war in Sri Lanka:

Today could be the end for a 25-year struggle in Sri Lanka between the rebel Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government. State television in Sri Lanka says the country's military has reclaimed all land previously held by the rebels and that the Supreme Leader of the Tamil Tiger rebels, or LTTE, Velupillai Prabhakaran, has been killed by government forces in fighting in the north of the country. The Northern provinces have been embroiled in escalating violence in recent weeks and thousands of civilians have been displaced. The Takeaway gets the latest update from Sri Lanka from the Head of the BBC’s Tamil Service, Manivannan Thiramalai

A truce was announced this weekend between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan army after a quarter-century of civil war. But fighting continues despite government claims that it has defeated the rebel Tamil Tigers and killed a key leader. It's hard to independently verify what is happening on the ground: journalists and observers have been barred from the war zone. But it appears possible that the civil war may indeed be at an end. To help us understand the future for Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, The Takeaway is joined by Robert Blake, the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Here are President Obama's comments on the situation in Sri Lanka:

An estimated 50,000 Sri Lankan civilians remain trapped in a tiny strip of rebel-held territory that's fiercely fought over by Tamil Tiger rebels and government forces. The Red Cross says a ferry carrying aid to the area has turned back because of the fighting. Closely watching the fighting is the Sri Lankan diaspora here in North America. One in the diaspora, Ahilan Kadirgamar, joins The Takeaway to discuss his homeland's long civil war. Ahilan is a spokesperson for the Sri Lanka Democracy Forum, a diaspora network pushing for a political solution in Sri Lanka.

Two days of shelling in Sri Lanka's northern war zone killed at least 430 civilians, with some estimates putting the number as high as 1,000. The Sri Lankan military and the Tamil Tiger rebels traded accusations over the shelling. The United Nations called the artillery barrages a "bloodbath" that killed more than 100 children, and a coalition of international human rights groups called for the U.N. Security Council to hold formal talks on the war. The Sri Lankan military has twice said it would stop using heavy weaponry against the Tamils, who are surrounded by tens of thousands of civilians in a narrow strip of land along Sri Lanka's coastline. U.N. figures compiled last month showed that nearly 6,500 civilians had been killed in three months of fighting as the government drove the rebels out of their strongholds in the north in a bid to end the 25-year long civil war. The unrest has also displaced thousands of civilians, a situation that is leading the beleaguered nation into a widespread humanitarian crisis. The Takeaway looks at the increasingly violent civil war in Sri Lanka, with BBC Correspondent Charles Haviland and Manivanna Thirumalai of the BBC's Tamil Service.

Today, Tamil separatist fighters ignored an ultimatum issued by the Sri Lankan government. Despite potentially risking the lives of tens of thousands of civilians, the Tamil rebels refused to surrender, trapping the civilians who are unable to flee the city. Fierce fighting continues now. Joining us with details of the ignored ultimatum is Somini Sengupta, South Asia Bureau Chief for the New York Times .

Bad sportsmanship took an ugly turn as Pakistani gunmen attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team on its way to play in the Pakistani city of Lahore. At least five Pakistani policemen protecting the team's bus were killed, while seven cricketers and their assistant coach were injured. For more we turn to Schwaib Hassan, the BBC's Pakistan correspondent, who joins us from Karachi.

Sri Lanka marks its 61st Independence Day today, but the celebrations have been muted by ongoing skirmishes between the government and separatists. The President declared that the military has nearly crushed the 25-year Tamil rebellion for a separate homeland, but fighting continues and the humanitarian crisis worsens. For more we are joined by Somini Sengupta, the South Asia bureau chief for the New York Times.

For more, read Somini Sengupta's article, Wounded Flee Shelling of a Hospital in Sri Lanka, in today's New York Times.

As the civil war in Sri Lanka continues, the Sri Lankan army has hemmed in the rebels, the Tamil Tigers, in the northeast corner of the country. Caught in the crossfire are an estimated 250,000 civilians who live in the area. Food stocks are dwindling, and Sri Lanka's president today is urging Tamil Tiger rebels to allow the civilians trapped there to leave. For a closer look at these troubling events, we turn to Somini Sengupta, the New Delhi bureau chief for the New York Times.

The long struggle between the Sri Lankan military and the separatist Tamil Tigers continues, but the Sri Lankan military says that after intense fighting, its troops have captured the rebel stronghold town of Mullaittivu. Government forces are on a major offensive aimed at crushing the Tamil Tigers and ending their fight for a separate state for the Tamil minority. We are joined by BBC correspondent Anbarasan Ethirajan in Sri Lanka.

For more than 25 years, the Tamil rebels have been fighting for independence from the government of Sri Lanka. Today the Sri Lankan army is continuing a massive military assault to force the rebels to give up much of the territory they have won. The BBC World Service's Roland Buerk joins us from Colombo, Sri Lanka for an update on the situation.