30 killed in Lanka fighting

Colombo, Sept. 28: A wave of fighting in Sri Lanka’s civil war killed 25 Tamil Tiger rebels and five soldiers, the military said on Sunday.

Military spokesperson Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said the worst fighting on Saturday broke out when troops pushing toward the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi battled with rebels in Akkarayankulam village. The fighting killed 12 insurgents and five soldiers, Mr Nanayakkara said.

Separate clashes in Jaffna, Vavuniya and Welioya killed another 13 rebels and wounded several soldiers, he said. Rebel officials could not be reached for comment because most communication lines to the north have been cut.

It is difficult to verify military reports because journalists are barred from the northern war zone. The government has vowed to retake all rebel areas by the end of 2008 and says its troops are just 4.5 km from Kilino-chchi. LTTE rebels have fought for more than 25 years to create an independent homeland for the minority Tamils after a history of discrimination by governments controlled by ethnic Sinhalese. —AP

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UN allowed to carry food to rebel areas

By T.V. Sriram

Colombo

Sept. 28: In an apparent shift in stand, Sri Lanka has allowed UN officials to accompany the food convoy to the LTTE held areas barely two weeks after asking the world body to pull out of the rebel controlled regions in the North.

Concerned over the deteriorating situation of the over two lakh internally displaced persons caught in the war between the security forces and the LTTE, Sri Lanka gave its nod to permit the UN officials to go along with the supply vehicles to the embattled North. —PTI