Colombo, October 16
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa today ruled out a ceasefire with the LTTE as demanded by Tamil Nadu politicians and vowed to continue the military offensive against the Tigers in the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi.

Rajapaksa has informed the Indian government that it is not ready to stop the ongoing offensive to evict Tamil Tigers from their last bastion or to order a ceasefire as demanded by chief minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi and other politicians of the state, the state-run Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation said.

His comments come even as a Lankan foreign ministry spokesman said operations in Kilinochchi were being carried out by the armed forces following zero-civilian casualty doctrine and all assistance was being provided to displaced Tamil civilians. The Lankan President said his government had no intention to order a ceasefire at a time when LTTE leadership had sent suicide bombers to assassinate the leadership of his armed forces.

Rajapaksa was quoted as questioning the demand for ceasefire saying that should we halt the operations to give time to the suicide bombers to carry out their heinous designs.