Ceasefire ends, LTTE's demand for truce rejected

Colombo, Apr 15: The 48 hour ceasefire in Sri Lankan came to an end on Wednesday and both LTTE and Sri Lankan troops have started exchanging rocket and gunfire from midnight.

The Tamil Tiger rebels had earlier claimed that the ceasefire called by the Sri Lankan Government was nothing but an attempt to deceive the international community.

After losing large territory that they once controlled, the remaining guerrillas are now boxed into a narrow strip of jungle in the northeast where they are vastly outnumbered by the Lankan troops.

The government rejected a the demand LTTE made for a permanent truce.

Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse, said his troops were on the verge of total victory before he called the ceasefire in observation of the traditional New Year on Monday, Apr 13 and Tuesday, Apr 14 .

ANI