S.Lanka govt says military attacking rebel sites

COLOMBO, Apr 25 (Reuters) Sri Lanka said today the military had launched air strikes and artillery fire against Tamil Tiger rebel positions in the northeast, but that it did not mean a return to war.

Head of the government peace secretariat, Palitha Kohona, told Reuters that military action was still ongoing following rebel shelling of the northeastern Trincomalee naval base and a suspected rebel suicide attack on Colombo's army headquarters.

''The LTTE did something this afternoon that clearly breached the ceasefire,'' he said, referring to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). ''The government had to act. We still hope that the LTTE will decide to come to talks.'' It was the first time the government had said it was carrying out military action against the Tigers since a 2002 truce.

Reuters CH VP1958