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LTTE denies links with U.S. arrests

B. Muralidhar Reddy

This is not our way of operating, say Tigers

COLOMBO: The LTTE has maintained that it has no connection with the eight persons arrested by the U.S. authorities on charges of attempting to mobilise military and material support for it.

"We have no connection with the people arrested and this is not our way of operating. We have never done like this before," the LTTE said on phone from Kilinochichi in a bland response to the news which has been splashed in a big way in the local and foreign media.

On Monday, the U.S. charged eight men with providing material support to the Tigers. The U.S. Justice Department said some of the charges against them were hatching a conspiracy to buy surface-to-air missiles, attempting to bribe U.S. officials to have the LTTE removed from a list of terrorist organisations and obtaining classified intelligence.

Curfew lifted

As the fighting continued in the Jaffna peninsula, though on a reduced scale, the Government lifted the 10-day old curfew in a phased manner in Jaffna and other conflict affected areas in the North.

Defence spokesman and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told journalists here that a ship with 3,800 tonnes of food, medical and many basic goods was sailing towards the North. "The Government decided to take the sea route as it is far safer than by land. LTTE launches attacks on whatever they come across even an unarmed ship transporting basic necessities to serve the civilians," he said. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission said the situation in Sri Lanka continued to be very unstable.

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