COLOMBO: Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) officials, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Political Head S. Elilan and civilian representatives who went to Maavil Aaru site to re-open the closed sluice gates on Sunday afternoon came under Army artillery attack, according to TamilNet, a website sponsored by the LTTE. As per a deal brokered by Norway earlier in the day, the Tigers had conditionally agreed to lift the blockade of a waterway in the east. But Colombo has rejected the deal.

"Dozens of artillery shells were fired. Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen Bauer is in direct contact with Royal Norwegian Government and Colombo discussing the latest hostile attacks. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera had earlier assured Mr. Bauer that attacks would be stopped. The re-opening of sluice gates is blocked by the new escalation of attacks," it said.

The website said the SLMM chief Ulf Henricsson and Representative Ove Jansen narrowly escaped from artillery attacks. A spokesman of the SLMM confirmed the incident. "Yes, the SLMM delegation visiting the site came under fire. We are very disappointed that the Government did not allow lifting of the blockade. It would not only have ensured flow of much needed water but also paved way for a ceasefire. For the time being we have no solution", the spokesman told The Hindu.

Assistance

Earlier the LTTE claimed that the Norwegian Special Envoy told them that the `facilitators would act, within three weeks, to ensure equitable humanitarian assistance' in the LTTE-controlled area where Colombo has imposed an `un-declared economic embargo and launched attacks' for the last three months.

Any future Sri Lankan military offensive involving air strike, artillery attacks and "limited operations" would be interpreted as direct offensive operations and declaration of war by Sri Lanka, it said.

SLMM's future

Norway and Iceland are prepared to continue to secure the existence of the SLMM after September 1, according to Mr. Bauer.

Mr. Bauer is here for talks with the Sri Lanka Government on de-escalation of tensions as well as the future of the SLMM. There is a question mark on the future of the SLMM after Finland, Denmark and Sweden served notice to quit the mission ahead of the September 1 deadline imposed by the LTTE against association of European Union members with it.

A report in the TamilNet said that after meeting the LTTE Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan at Kilinochchi on Sunday Mr. Bauer told reporters "Norwegian Government is very concerned for the future" of the SLMM.

Mr. Bauer said Norway had re-assurances from the LTTE and the Government and both sides really wanted the SLMM to continue.

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