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| Sri Lanka |
| Sri Lanka says combat gives way to rescue |
| 2009-04-28 |
| Sri Lanka on Monday ordered troops to stop using heavy weapons against the Tamil Tiger rebels, and instead focus on protecting and rescuing tens of thousands of people still trapped in the last rebel pocket. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) immediately accused the government of disregarding its own commitment by launching two air raids on the tiny rebel-held area. Sri Lanka's announcement came a day after it dismissed an attempt to declare a truce by the rebels, now cornered in less than 10 square km of coastline by 50,000 troops fighting to finish Asia's longest modern war. Operations over: "Combat operations have reached their conclusion," a statement from President Mahinda Rajapaksa's office said. Soldiers would "confine their attempts to rescuing civilians who are held hostage and give foremost priority to saving civilians". Troops have been ordered not to use heavy-calibre guns, combat aircraft and aerial weapons, the statement said. Nonetheless, troops kept moving forward, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said. "The rescue operation is continuing today," he said. Special forces, commandos and snipers have been deployed, he said. Analysts said the announcement appeared designed to mollify diplomatic pressure for a ceasefire, which Sri Lanka has ruled out given the LTTE's history of using breaks in the fighting to rearm and its rejection of two government truce offers this year. For weeks before Monday's move, the military had said it was only using small arms in order to protect civilians in what it has dubbed the largest hostage rescue operation in the world. "I don't see any substantial change. This would probably be in deference to international opinion," said Col R Hariharan, who was head of military intelligence for the Indian army during its 1987-1990 peacekeeping mission in Sri Lanka. "What is there to stop anyway? That stage is gone. I don't think anybody will take it very seriously," he said. Bombing: LTTE peace secretariat chief S Puleedevan accused Sri Lanka of "attempting to deceive the international community, including the people of Tamil Nadu" with the announcement, pro-rebel website www.TamilNet.com reported. Puleedevan said two jets bombed the rebel area on Monday, TamilNet reported. Air force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said there had been no combat sorties: "That stopped a long time ago." No surrender: Separately, Puleethevan told AFP by telephone that Tamil Tigers would never surrender and would fight on until their demands are met. "We made our position very clear to the international community. We will never surrender till our legitimate demands are met," Puleethevan said. The Sri Lankan war has become an election issue in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, home to 60 million Tamils. The state's chief minister, M Karunanidhi, abruptly stopped a decision to fast in protest at the war after Rajapaksa's announcement. Last-minute diplomatic efforts have borne little fruit, with the LTTE refusing to release tens of thousands of non-combatants it holds inside the war zone, and the government saying the Tigers must surrender or be destroyed. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, due in Sri Lanka on Wednesday with his French and Swedish counterparts to press for a truce, said the fighting had created a crisis. "It's very, very important that we follow through on the government's welcome announcement ... of a cease to combat operations," he told reporters in Luxembourg. |
| Posted by:Fred |