LTTE abducts 2 truce monitors, breaches pact

Sri Lanka’s separatist Tamil Tiger rebels breached a truce with the government by abducting two neutral monitors by boat in their bid to escape a standoff with the Sri Lankan navy, Nordic officials said on Sunday.

The LTTE released the Scandinavian monitors on Sunday morning after landing safely in northern rebel-held territory, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) said.

‘‘This is a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement and a major blow to the trust of SLMM in the LTTE,’’ Major General Trond Furuhovde, head of the mission, said in a statement.

‘‘After this irresponsible behaviour, it is clear that the LTTE will have a lot to do in rebuilding people’s confidence in their organisation.’’