20 killed as Tiger rebel factions clash in Lanka

The rebels say the government uses fighters led by former Tiger eastern commander Karuna Amman as ‘‘Army-backed paramilitaries’’ to attack the mainstream Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)—a charge the government denies.

‘‘It is a very severe blow for the paramilitary groups and for the Sri Lankan Army,’ head of the Tiger peace secretariat S Puleedevan said. He said the camps were in Army-controlled areas. ‘‘We have burnt the camps and a lot of arms and ammunition provided by the Sri Lankan Army,’’ he added.

He said the rebels had come under artillery fire from nearby Army camps during the attack, but were withdrawing back behind their own lines with only one Tiger fighter wounded. Twenty Karuna fighters were killed and 15 wounded, he said.

A Karuna aide confirmed the attack but disputed figures, telling that only five had been killed and seven wounded.

The Army denied there had been any shelling, and said all they knew was there had been fighting between Tiger and Karuna forces in jungle areas not really controlled by either side. They have always denied knowing where the Karuna camps were, but Nordic truce monitors said the Army, at best, turns a blind eye.

Peace talks due to take place in Switzerland have been indefinitely postponed because of wrangling over the transport of eastern rebel leaders to their headquarters for a pre-talks meeting.

–Peter Apps