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U.S. counsels restraint in Sri Lanka

B. Muralidhar Reddy

Ongoing violence is putting peace agreement at risk, says State Department

COLOMBO: The latest battle in Sri Lanka has prompted the Bush administration to ask the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to observe restraint and pave the way for meaningful talks.

In a statement, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said: "The United States ... is deeply concerned that ongoing violence is putting the agreement at risk. We call on both sides to cease hostilities."

Pre-dawn offensive

Meanwhile, TamilNet claimed that Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) troopers launched a pre-dawn offensive into LTTE territory in Amparai on Thursday. "The STF ground troops moved six km into our territory inside Kanchikudicharu," it quoted LTTE Amparai district political head S. Jeya as saying.

LTTE military spokesman Ilanthirayan said six LTTE cadres and four members of its auxiliary forces were killed "in action."

Military spokesperson Brigadier Samarasinghe contended that following its "Final war" campaign, "which turned into a fiasco," the LTTE was continuing to attack the northern front defence lines (FDL) using mortars and heavy artillery.

"Although the operations could successfully reduce the artillery threat to the Jaffna peninsula, the mortar attacks at the FDL continue from the LTTE gun positions in Palali and Elephant Pass," he said.

On Thursday, the LTTE said it handed over the bodies of 74 soldiers. Kadja Lorenz, head of the sub-delegation for Kilinochchi on behalf of the Red Cross, received the bodies.

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