COLOMBO March 23, (Reuter): Eight Sri Lankans were killed in clashes between troops and rebels yesterday even as hopes for renewed peace talks between India and Sri Lankan were revived.
A government statement said today four soldiers were killed in a rebel mortar attack on two sentry posts in Jaffna.
One soldier was killed and three were injured when rebels attacked government offices in Panmedawachchiya in the eastern district of Trincomalee.
The statement added that three rebels were killed and one injured when security forces raided a hideout belonging to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the main guerrilla group.
Peace hopes were raised today. Government sources said a Presidential emissary would go to India to pave the way for India’s resumed mediation in the Tamil rebellion.
Sources said lands development minister Gamini Dissanayake would resume negotiations between India and Sri Lanka, which broke off 10 days ago.
The independent Colombo. Newspaper the Sun reported today that Dissanayake was expected to leave for New Delhi ‘this week for talks aimed at a ceasefire.
India last month announced it would only resume mediation between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil rebels if Colombo lifted a fuel and communications embargo on the rebel controlled Jaffna peninsula, suspended military operations in the north and east and adhered to proposals agreed in December as a basis for peace talks.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 27, 1987
