Agence France Presse

Colombo, June 14:

Sri Lanka’s main international donors today asked the Colombo government and Tamil Tiger rebels to take action to stop escalating violence and stem a wave of political killings undermining a fragile truce. The US, Japan, the European Union and Sri Lanka’s peace broker Norway at a meeting in Washington expressed concern about the upsurge in violence on the island, said a joint statement released in Colombo. “We note with utmost concern that while full-scale hostilities have not resumed, respect for the ceasefire agreement has been undermined by persistent violence...,” said the statement, issued after Monday’s meeting.

It said there had been killings of individuals affiliated with both parties and asked the rebel LTTE to stop murdering rivals and government and military officials. The Tigers were also asked to stop recruiting child soldiers.

Navy patrol fired at

COLOMBO: Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels fired at a navy patrol on Tuesday in northern Sri Lanka, wounding at least one sailor, the defense ministry said. The wounded man was among four sailors who were on a reconnaissance patrol in the town of Manner, 235 km north of Colombo, said defense ministry’s spokesman, Brig Daya Ratnayake. Further details weren’t immediately available. — AP