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Sri Lanka launches large-scale offensive against LTTE

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Oct 11, IRNA
Sri Lanka-Tigers-Offensive
The Sri Lankan military Wednesday launched a three-pronged attack against Tamil Tiger guerillas in the island's northern Jaffna penninsula, the rebels said.

The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said the military had mounted a large-scale offensive against them a day after they told peace broker Norway of their willingness to resume peace talks later this month in Switzerland.

"Intense clashes are going on," they said in a statement sent to Colombo.

Earlier in the day, the Norwegian peace brokers asked both the government and the Tamil Tigers to halt hostilities ahead of peace talks scheduled for October 28 and 29 in Switzerland.

The Tigers warned that any new offensive against them will make them reconsider their decision to attend the peace talks.

There was no immediate word from the military about the Tiger statement, but the rebels during the weekend had warned that the military was preparing for an all-out offensive against them along the de facto frontline in Jaffna.

Meanwhile, reports received here from Colombo said the Sri Lankan army has rushed rockets, mortar shells and other military hardware to its forward defence lines in the besieged Jaffna Peninsula, a pro-Tamil Tiger rebel website claimed, adding that a soldier has died in the continued fighting.

Truckloads of military hardware were moved on Monday from Palali, the army's main Jaffna base, closer to areas in the south of the peninsula which are controlled by the Tamil Tiger rebels, TamilNet reported late Monday.

Consignments of artillery ammunition, mortar shells and rockets were rushed in heavy military vehicles to several areas along the defence lines, the Website reported.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse warned on Monday that the government would be "compelled to take appropriate counter-measures" to ensure security if Tamil Tiger rebels continue to launch attacks.

But the president said the government remained committed to peace talks with the rebels, scheduled to be held in Switzerland in late October.

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