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Sri Lankan troops suspend offensive against LTTE for 2 days

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, April 13, IRNA -- Sri Lankan troops on Monday suspended their offensive against the LTTE for two days in view of the New Year and asked the civilians trapped in the war to cross over to government-controlled areas, even as the rebels killed a soldier on Monday morning.

Troops began observing the two-day unilateral truce since early this morning in view of the festivities of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year and the Army is using loudspeakers to tell the civilians to make use of the opportunity and leave the war zone.

The Army said that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels, who continue to occupy 'No Fire Zone' keeping entrapped civilians as hostages, directed a sniper gunfire towards troops this morning, killing one soldier and injuring another in Mullaittivu, Indian official media reported.

"Those are the latest acts of terror conducted by LTTE hours after President Mahinda Rajapaksa offered a humanitarian pause for the ongoing counter terrorists operations," the army said in a statement.

Heeding to demands from UN and various countries, President Mahinda Rajapaksa had yesterday announced a two-day pause in the military operations against the Tamil Tigers, now confined to the 'No Fire Zone' in the island's north.

Announcing the government's move, President Mahinda Rajapaksa had said the move would enable civilians to celebrate Tamil New Year day today and tomorrow and gave a final call to the Tamil Tigers to 'renounce' terrorism and violence permanently and surrender.

Meanwhile, reports said troops successfully repulsed several LTTE attempts to breach the defense line in Mullaittivu.

Intercepted LTTE radio communication revealed that 37 LTTE cadres were killed and 16 were wounded in the day's fighting, the Defense Ministry said.

With the latest military advance, troops have established their positions less than two kilometers to the bridge in the Vellamullaivaikkal on the A-35, the military said.

"The bridge is the main road access to the narrow land stretch on the northeastern coast where the LTTE holds thousands of civilians as a human shield," the officials said.