Gunmen shot and killed two civilians in eastern Sri Lanka, officials said on Thursday. Tamil rebels accused the military of being linked to the murders, saying it was determined to deter people from taking part in an important insurgent celebration this weekend. The armed forces denied involvement. There has been a series of killings in Sri Lanka recently that have shaken an already fragile truce between the government and the rebels. The two civilians were shot dead by unidentified assailants late Wednesday north of the town of Batticaloa, 220 kilometers (136 miles) east of the capital Colombo, military spokesman Brig. Daya Ratnayake said. The pro-rebel TamilNet Web site blamed anti-Tiger rebel groups colluding with Sri Lanka's military intelligence for the violence. Liberation Tigers say that the Sri Lankan armed forces are bent on sowing fear in the district to discourage people from observing martyrs' day this weekend," the Web site said. Velupillai Prabhakaran, the rebels' reclusive chief, turns 50 on Friday. The following day he is scheduled to deliver his annual "heroes' day" speech, which is expected to outline the groups' future course.
| "More killing! More war! More fat of the land for me! I'm your leader and I deserve it!" |
|