3:00 PM

Government rejects LTTE’s unilateral ceasefire offer

Sri Lanka Government rejected unilateral ceasefire offer by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the separatist Tamil Tiger outfit.

Responding to an oral question raised by Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa, in the floor of Sri Lanka parliament today, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said the government does not response to this offer. He said a number of local and international allies try to stop operations against the rebels.

"At present government is defeating the terrorists .We never stop these operations," he said. A rebel statement said the Tigers would refrain from military action during the 15th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) conference but warned they would be forced to take "defensive action" if the island's military carried out any offensives against them.

The government sources further said, it had not received an official ceasefire notification from the rebels and expressed wariness about the move.

Meanwhile the head of the government peace secretariat, Rajiva Wijesinghe, said the government needs time to carefully consider the LTTE call for a ceasefire during the SAARC summit and will wait till it is officially communicated.

1:57 PM

22 LTTE suicide bombers killed in air raid

Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara speaking to defence.lk said that 22 LTTE suicide bombers (Black Tigers ) were killed in the air raid carried out this morning (July 22) at the Uddayarkattukulam LTTE camp.

Citing Air Force intelligence sources , he said that the group of the slain LTTE cadres had been engaged in a rehearsal of a major suicide operation at the time of the air raid.

Air Force fighter jets launched an air strike targeting pre identified LTTE special operation training facility located Northeast of Uddayarkattukulam in the Mullaittiuvu district around 8.15a.m.

The Air Force sources said, targeted camp was providing training for LTTE cadres in special operations and in leadership for the terror leaders. Activities in the terror camp had a significant increase recently, the sources added.