M A I N   N E W S

Tigers launch fresh attack
Lanka rejects ceasefire

COLOMBO, May 16 (UNI) — The LTTE has launched a fresh attack on security forces and fired artillery at civilian-populated areas in Jaffna after a respite of three days even as 44 Tamil Guerrillas and six soldiers were killed in the latest round of confrontations.

A government spokesman said today terrorists fired mortars at a thickly-populated area this evening. While there were reports of panic among people no casualty has been reported. Yesterday afternoon, the Tigers fired a barrage of artillery and mortars from the direction of Pooneryn North, across the Jaffna lagoon killing six civilians and wounding 18 others. Due to the concentrated artillery and mortar fire of the terrorists, senior ground commanders of the army shifted the defences to prepared positions more towards the north-east.

However, unconfirmed reports said LTTE fighting units have broken through the defence perimeters of some military bases and ferocious fighting continues in the Navatkuly, Thatchanthoppu and Kurunagar areas.

As a result of intense fighting throughout last night which continued till early hours today, one officer and five soldiers were killed. Five officers and 36 soldiers had been wounded in the action, the spokesman said. Although the terrorist transmission has not revealed casualty figures, troops had observed over 40 bodies at five to six locations in the Tanankilapu area. In the Nagarkovil area, troops sniped and killed four terrorists. With the LTTE losing nearly 400 frontline cadres following air force raids in the embattled Jaffna peninsula, the intensity in the fighting had dropped drastically during the past four days since fresh fighting broke out on last Wednesday, military sources said.

Troops had continued their offensive posture during the past 24 hours despite terrorists firing in the Gurunagar area from Pooneyean yesterday afternoon. Six civilians were killed and 18 were wounded due to terrorist fire, a government spokesman said. Troops had inflicted heavy casualties on LTTE cadres in Nagarkovil, Ampan, Kovilakandy and Cololbuthurai, the sources said.

While snipers of the security forces have killed 15 terrorists in skirmishes, three soldiers were killed and five have been wounded. The sources monitoring LTTE radio revealed that hundreds of injured terrorist cadres were being abandoned by the LTTE because of lack of transport and medical supplies.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has outrightly rejected any ceasefire agreement with the LTTE.

But, she said, her government was ready for talks with the militant group provided LTTE supremo V. Prabhakaran was brought to the negotiating table.

NEW YORK (Reuters): Sri Lanka and Israel restored diplomatic relations, broken off by Sri Lanka in 1970 and again in 1990.