Tigers warn of major war in Lanka

Colombo: Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels on Tuesday said the killing of their senior intelligence operative was intended to end all efforts towards peace and force them into a "major war".

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said their eastern province intelligence chief was gunned down by the military, a charge denied by the security forces.

Ramanan, a senior LTTE commander, was gunned down on Monday in Vavunativu in the eastern district of Batticaloa.

"Ramanan's death is a huge loss to the Batticaloa Tamil people and the LTTE. LTTE considers this attack is intended to end all efforts towards peace and drag the LTTE into a major war," the LTTE said in a statement.

Norwegian envoys will meet with government and Tamil rebel leaders this week to try to revive the country's peace process, amid spiraling violence and recriminations between the sides.

Erik Solheim, who negotiated Sri Lanka's 2002 cease-fire and is now Norway's International Development Minister, will arrive in the country on Thursday to join his peace envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer, spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said.

"They will talk to the parties to make them return to the table," Rambukwella said. "We are ready to resume the peace process," he added.

The rebels said prospects to resume peace talks were "bleak".

"The prospects of resuming peace talks are bleak, but nevertheless let the Norwegian envoys discuss how the situation can be improved. We have to wait and see," LTTE leader Seevaratnam Puleedevan said.

The Tigers accuse the government of supporting the group in its attacks on their fighters, and of letting it to operate in government-controlled territory - a charge the army denies.

The government has blamed the Tigers for numerous attacks, especially on soldiers, in recent months.