Lanka vows to continue retaliatory attacks on LTTE

Colombo, Apr 26 (UNI) Sri Lanka today vowed to continue its ''co-ordinated retaliatory attacks on the selected targets'' in the LTTE-held areas in the Eastern Trincomalee district while still claiming to be committed to the Norwegian brokered peace process.

Addressing a media conference, Government spokesman and Media Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said, ''The known targets were taken on by aircrafts as well as by the Army to repulse the LTTE attacks after careful considerations''.

He said government was concerned about the national security, but still committed to continue the shaky peace process and the ceasefire agreement with the Tamil Tigers.

''The ceasefire agreement is still on and we trying our best through the Norwegian facilitators, the Nordic truce monitors and the donor co-chairs to bring the LTTE to the negotiating table,'' Mr Yapa said.

The government remarks on the air strikes in the Eastern Trincomalee district, in the aftermath of the suicide assassination bid on the Army Chief in Colombo yesterday, has come at a time when the pro-LTTE Tamilnet website reported that more than 15,000 Tamil people from several hamlets in the LTTE-held Sampoor region had fled their home fearing more airstrike and artillery fire from the government forces.

''More than fifteen thousand Tamil people of about four thousand and five hundred families from Chenaiyoor, Kaddaiparichchan, Koonitheivu, Soodaikuda, Kadatkaraichenai, Santhoshapuram and several hamlets in the Muttur east gathered in the village Pattalipuram in Muttur east early today fearing more air strike and artillery fire. These families started walking toward Pattalipuram while SLAFK fire jet resumed its bombing,'' the Tamilnet report said.

Mr Yapa, however, rejected some media allegation that the Tamil people were the targets of the attack and said there was no discriminatory bombing or anything of that sort.

''We categorically say that we are not attacking the Tamils. We are only trying to prevent what the LTTE is trying to do in places like Colombo and Trincomalee,'' the government spokesman said.

Asked how long the government would continue its aerial attacks, Government's spokesman on defence matters, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said ''the coordinated retaliation in the form of defence'' would be continues as long as the LTTE continues attacking the government forces.

''There are no duration or limits on defence matters. This will continue as long as the LTTE targets the government security forces,'' Minister Rambukwella said, adding that the government had already briefed the co-chairs and the other members of the international community after the LTTE's assassination bid on the Army Commander.

Military Spokesman Brig Prasad Samarasinghe said he had not got any casualty details on the air strike as it had happened in the LTTE-held areas. He, however, added that two civilians were killed and eleven sailors were wounded due to LTTE mortar fire towards the navy detachments in Trincomalee this morning.

The Indian Oil Company owns all 99 oil tanks at the China Bay oil tank farm in the Trincomalee district.

UNI XC PR RP RK1703