Sri Lanka jets bomb Tiger rebels for third day

COLOMBO, Nov 3 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's Air Force launched air raids for the third consecutive day on Tamil Tiger targets in the island's northwest and east today, the military said, days after the breakdown of talks to halt renewed civil war.

''The air force bombed two Tiger targets this morning. One is a Tiger training and transit camp in (the eastern district of) Batticaloa and the other one is a Sea Tiger base in Mannar,'' said a spokesman for the Media Centre for National Security.

The military said dozens of civilians were fleeing to government-held territory.

The Tigers were not immediately available for comment on the attack, and there were no immediate details of casualties.

Today's raid came after the Air Force dropped bombs near the rebels' northern stronghold of Kilinochchi yesterday, which the Tigers said demolished a house and killed five civilians.

The island's main donors the United States, Japan, the European Union and Norway condemned yesterday's air raid, and called on both sides to halt military action.

''This latest attack comes at a delicate time when both sides should seek to build confidence and compromise to ensure further rounds of talks can soon be agreed, and an escalation of the conflict can be avoided,'' the donors said in a joint statement.

Diplomats and analysts fear the latest chapter in the island's civil war, which has already killed more than 65,000 people since 1983, could bring a return to full-blown conflict.

The air raids came as both sides continued to fight artillery duels in the east for a fifth day. They also came after peace talks, the first in 8 months, collapsed on Sunday with the sides unable even to agree on whether to meet again for more talks.

The talks in Geneva collapsed over the government's closure in August of the main north-south A-9 highway, which runs through rebel territory and to the isolated, northern army-held Jaffna peninsula.

The government argues that rebel artillery fire makes the road unsafe and that the Tigers have been moving troops and munitions on it and raise war funds by demanding a ''tax'' from vehicles passing along it, and will only reopen it if the Tigers halt violence.

REUTERS SY RN1958