(CNN) -- Sri Lanka's quarter-century-long civil war is in its final phase, the government suggested Friday, as its troops pounded Tamil Tiger rebels in the country's north. This picture, released by the Sri Lankan defense ministry, is said to be of a dead Tamil Tiger body captured after fighting on May 14, 2009. The rebels -- formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) -- have fought for an independent state in Sri Lanka since 1983. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began. President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the end of the current military push, which is often referred to as a civilian rescue mission, is less than 48 hours away. He spoke from Jordan on Friday, where he's attending an economic summit.
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Sri Lanka president says end of current military push less than 48 hours away
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U.N. estimates more than 50,000 civilians trapped in area under siege
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Red Cross: "Staff are witnessing an unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe"
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Tamil Tigers have fought for an independent state in Sri Lanka since 1983
In a rapid military push, @placeholder forces have squeezed Tamil Tiger fighters into approximately 1.5 square miles (four square kilometers) of coastal land.