LTTE steps up attacks

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, NOV. 30. After the offer of ``unconditional'' talks, it was business as usual for the LTTE. Ten security force personnel and a civilian were killed in three separate attacks in northeast Sri Lanka over the last 24 hours. Four soldiers and a civilian were killed and 13 wounded when their military vehicle went over a landmine on the Vavuniya-Mannar road this morning.

In Trincomalee in eastern Sri Lanka, four naval ratings were killed and four wounded when their bus was hit by an LTTE claymore mine this morning. The LTTE followed it up with gunfire from small arms, said a defence Ministry statement.

Two soldiers were killed and four wounded on Wednesday when the LTTE attacked military lines at Nagarkovil. In contrast to the low profile it maintained in the run-up to the ``Heroes' Day'', the LTTE seems to have stepped up attacks in the days immediately after. Earlier this week, seven civilians were killed and 28 wounded when their bus ran over a landmine in the northcentral Anuradhapura district.

Ratwatte sworn in

Meanwhile, the in-fighting over two key government appointments, that of the Deputy Defence Minister and the Deputy Finance Minister, was finally resolved. Mr. Anurudhha Ratwatte and Mr. G.L. Peiris were sworn in today by the Prime Minister, Mr. Ratnasiri Wickramanayake.

The President, Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga, who holds both the main Defence and Finance portfolios, is away on a visit to the U.K. and Europe. In London, Mrs. Kumaratunga met the British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Robin Cook, and also Queen Elizabeth.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : Gore steps up PR offensive
Next     : Indo-Iraq accord will not hit sanctions: U.K.