Tigers shatter self-imposed truce with mortars

COLOMBO, DEC 27: Tamil Tiger guerrillas fired mortar bombs at Sri Lankan army positions, which killed two soldiers and broke their own uni...

COLOMBO, DEC 27: Tamil Tiger guerrillas fired mortar bombs at Sri Lankan army positions, which killed two soldiers and broke their own unilateral ceasefire, a Defence Ministry spokesman said here today.

The LTTE attacked the Eluthumadduval army camp yesterday, killing two soldiers and injuring several others, Defence Ministry spokesman Sanath Karunaratne said here.

Another soldier was killed and four others wounded in a bomb explosion at Kaithady in Jaffna. The military also killed three rebels in two separate encounters in the peninsula, he said.

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Mortar attack was a violation of the rebels’ own truce, Karunaratne said.

The LTTE had offered a unilateral truce from Christmaseve, but the government rejected it until the Tigers entered Norwegian-backed peace talks.

In another statement on Christmas day, the LTTE announcedthat they will unilaterally continue to honour a truce till January 24 in the spirit of the festive season.

“The LTTE will not embark on offensive armed operationsduring the festive season ending on the 24th January 2001, but it reserves the right to armed defence,” the LTTE said from their London office.