ICRC ship cancelled

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 May 2000, 14:11 GMT]
Mr. Harasha Gunawardene, the spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Colombo told TamilNet that his organisation's weekly ship service between Trincomalee and Jaffna was cancelled Monday due to security reasons. The ICRC ship was to sail from the eastern port town of Trincomalee to Kankesanthurai (KKS) harbour.

Mr. Gunawardene said the ship was cancelled because the ICRC could not obtain security guarantees from the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers.

The LTTE said Friday that they have intensified artillery bombardment on Kankesanthurai (KKS) harbour and Palaly air base, the only lines of supply to the government troops, causing logistic problems for the Sri Lankan troops on the peninsula.

Earlier, reports said artillery shells fired by the Liberation Tigers had also hit coastal areas to the west of KKS.