Tamil rebel positions air raided in northern Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan Air Force continued its air raids on Tamil Tiger positions in the north of the island, military officials said.

They said that a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) training camp 10 km southeast of the rebel held town of Kilinochchi was hit along with a rebel sea Tiger wing base in Mannar.

The military said the air raids were made to preempt the LTTE's preparing offensive efforts in the east.

The raids carried out after the return of the government and rebel delegations to the island from Geneva -- the site of the failed talks over the weekend.

The rebel sources said that at least five people had been killed in the air attacks.

The talks in Geneva on Oct. 28-29 collapsed as the two sides failed to agree on humanitarian issues and the question of opening the main A9 highway to the north.

The government said the highway would be re-opened only after the rebels completely stopped violence and the rebels said no further talks could be held until the highway was opened.

More than 64,000 people were killed in the island's armed ethnic conflict between the mid-1980s and February 2002 when the Norwegians brokered a ceasefire.

Source: Xinhua