TMCnet News
4 Sri Lanka soldiers killed in mine blast, talks thrown into doubt+(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)COLOMBO, April 15_(Kyodo) _ Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels on Saturday set off a claymore mine targeting an army bus, killing four soldiers and injuring 12 others as peace talks slated for later this month were thrown into doubt. The attack occurred in northern Vavuniya district, raising the death toll from violence in Sri Lanka to over 50 in the past week. Diplomats dismissed claims by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam that a "people's force" resisting the military was responsible. Also Saturday, rebel commanders of the LTTE canceled a trip for consultations with the Tiger hierarchy in rebel-held Kilinochchi. It is feared the move will threaten peace talks between the government and the rebels slated for April 24-25 in Geneva. "We are frustrated," Helen Olofsdottir, spokeswoman of the Nordic Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, said after the LTTE refused to make the trip. "This is only a small logistics matter," she said. A ferry belonging to the state-owned Sri Lanka Ports Authority was provided to the SLMM to move the LTTE commanders to Kilinochchi in the north where the LTTE has its headquarters for consultations. The SLMM guaranteed the safety of LTTE commanders on board the ferry, with Maj. Gen. Ulf Ericsson of Sweden due to accompany them. But the rebel commanders canceled the trip due to a spat about a naval escort for the ferry. A government spokesman expressed "serious doubts" on whether the LTTE really wanted to go to Geneva. The Tigers said their own position about attendance at the peace talks has been "put into question." |