Has Sri Lankan Government declared war? - Elilan asks SLMM

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 April 2006, 19:18 GMT]
Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Tuesday night asked the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to clarify whether the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has launched a full-scale war violating the ceasefire agreement. Mr.Elilan made this query in his complaint lodged with the SLMM over the air strike by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) and artillery shell attack by the Sri Lanka Army and gunboat attack by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) on the villages in Muttur east Tuesday evening, sources said.

Mr.Elilan brought to the notice of the SLMM that more than one hundred and fifty artillery shells fired by the Sri Lanka Army had fallen in several villages in Muttur east and exploded causing severe damages to the life and property of civilians. Kfir jets of the SLAF bombed more than six places in the Muttur east villages, sources said.

Mr.Elilan denied a statement made by the SLA that it had retaliated an attack by the LTTE on the Sri Lanka Navy Tuesday with air strike and artillery attack.

Elilan told the SLMM, "We did not fire a single shot against the Sri Lankan troops Tuesday. Hence the air strike by the SLAF, artillery attack by SLA has to be considered a serious blatant violation of the Ceasefire Agreement. SLMM should inquire into our complaint and should inform us whether the Sri Lanka Army has launched a full-scale war on the LTTE."

Elilan said the damages caused to lives and properties of Tamil families in the Muttur east villages in air strike, artillery and gunboat attacks are being assessed.