Sri Lanka to Halt Heavy-Weapon Attacks on Rebels

Source: New York Times

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka —The Sri Lankan government launched a fresh offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels Monday but said it had instructed the military to cease using heavy weapons, artillery and air strikes in the combat zone where tens of thousands of civilians are trapped.

In what appeared to be a concession to the visiting United Nations humanitarian coordinator, John Holmes, and foreign governments critical of the government’s continued military offensive, a statement from the office of President Mahinda Rajapaksa said “combat operations have reached their conclusion.” But there was no sign that the government was backing down from its insistence that the Tigers surrender.

The United Nations estimates that about 50,000 civilians are trapped by the rebels in a four-square mile patch of beachfront on Sri Lanka’s northeastern coast. The military says 500 Tamil Tiger fighters remain in the narrow spit of territory facing the Indian Ocean. It was not possible to confirm the battlefield conditions because the government has sealed off the area to independent journalists.

On Sunday the government rejected a “unilateral cease-fire” that was declared by the rebels as a response to calls from the United Nations and many foreign governments for a pause in the fighting to avoid further civilian casualties. Military analysts said the cease-fire appeared to be a reflection of the rebels’ severely weakened position.





Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/world/asia/28lanka.html?hpw