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Japanese peace envoy for Sri Lanka

B. Muralidhar Reddy

LTTE alleges continued military offensive by Colombo; Co-Chairs may hold summit soon

COLOMBO: Amid growing international concern over the continued battles between the Sri Lanka Government and the LTTE ahead of the October 28 and 29 Switzerland talks, Yasushi Akashi, Special Peace Envoy of Japanese Government is arriving here on Sunday on a six-day visit for talks with Sri Lanka Government and the LTTE.

The island nation on Saturday was relatively calm with no major incidents of violence from any place. Though both the Government and LTTE have maintained they are committed to fresh round of dialogue, political and diplomatic observers are worried about the prospect of talks derailed or leading nowhere.

"Considering the current situation... Mr. Akashi is scheduled to meet officials of the Sri Lankan Government and the leaders of the LTTE with a view to enhancing this constructive effort and will also exchange views on the peace process and its future with leaders of political parties, international organisations and others", a statement by the Japanese embassy said.

According to diplomatic sources U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher and two other foreign envoys will visit Sri Lanka next week to seek a halt to fierce fighting that threatens to derail peace talks.

"There is a possibility of a mini-summit of the Co-Chairs of Sri Lanka here in the next few days", a senior diplomat told The Hindu .

In a separate development, Tamil Tigers on Saturday alleged that six Sri Lankan Air Force Kfirs each in two sorties dropped 48 bombs in Muththaiyankaddu in the Mullaithivu district on Friday. "The bombs fell mostly in cultivated land destroying crops and livestock. The bombing lasted for two hours between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m.", the LTTE said. Government of Sri Lanka has consistently maintained that it is not engaged in any military offensive against the LTTE and all its actions are a response to provocations from the Tigers.

In a statement, LTTE said Sri Lankan Navy and the Sri Lankan army from their camp in Mankindimalai in Mullaithivu fired artillery shells on the Mullaithivu fishermen on the evening of Friday when they were at sea. "Fishermen say that such attacks have continued for the last three days", it said.

Separately, the Sri Lanka Army said security forces are making efforts to secure release of its cadre private Samantha Weerasinghe from the custody of the LTTE.

The Tigers, in the pitched battles with the military at the Forward Defence Lines in the peninsula on Wednesday, took him into custody.

The nasty battle has claimed hundreds of lives on both sides.

The military in a separate statement said unidentified gunmen suspected to be of the LTTE shot at four civilians at Samanamkulam in the Vavuniya area on Saturday. "The incident took place at a suburb in Vavuniya located 8 km away from the Vavuniya town at 12.30 p.m. on Saturday", it said.

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