Tamil Tiger rebels shell positions in Jaffna

Mukamalai (Sri Lanka), Sept 19: Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger rebels today shelled recently lost positions on the Jaffna peninsula as accusations flew over responsibility for the weekend massacre of 10 Muslim civilians further south.

Journalists on a media trip organised by the army to recently captured rebel positions saw shellfire from Tiger-held territory, although soldiers dismissed it as routine.

''It is not a new experience. It is just another incident we face every day,'' said Corporal Bandula Jayasinghe of the shelling at Mukamalai, about 32 km (20 miles) southeast of Jaffna on the island's northern tip.

The northern part of the Jaffna peninsula is held by government forces, but in recent fighting they have pushed the frontline back across the narrow headland in places by up to 2 km.

The fighting has been the worst since the big guns were largely silenced by a 2002 ceasefire and has displaced more than a quarter of a million people and cut off all road access to Jaffna town.

Peace broker Norway announced last week that the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had agreed to meet for talks for the first time since the rebels pulled out of negotiations in April. It is aiming to arrange a meeting in Oslo next month.

However both sides have imposed conditions few expect either to honour. Petty squabbling has sunk previous talks, and some analysts fear renewed fighting could escalate.

The military also today said that Sri Lankan air force planes had bombed Tamil Tiger targets in the eastern district of Batticaloa, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

In Panama, eastern Sri Lanka, there were sporadic clashes between groups of stone-throwing Muslim youths and security forces, whom local residents blame for the massacre of 10 labourers on Sunday.

The pro-Tiger website www.tamilnet.com said today that the only survivor of the massacre had died of his injuries, but a government spokesman denied this and said he had given a statement implicating the LTTE.

''He is in intensive care, but we expect that he will be able to provide a fuller statement in the coming days,'' the spokesman said.

Rauff Hakeem, leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, called for a thorough investigation into the killings, which took place in a government-held area not known for a strong Tiger presence.

''The perpetrators of this horrendous act, whoever they are, should be punished severely,'' he said in a statement.

REUTERS

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