The Web Sri Lanka In Focus

Friday 18 January 2008

Dialogue only way out in Sri Lanka: Ban Ki-moon

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: Amid claims by the military that at least 25 LTTE cadres were killed in the last 24 hours in the north, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said dialogue is the only way to stop further violence.

Strongly condemning the indiscriminate attacks in the south-east on Wednesday which left dozens dead and injured, Mr. Ban said the attacks coincided with the abrogation of the Ceasefire Agreement.

The military claimed that 17 cadres were killed in Wednesday’s clashes. It said in the Wanni theatre of battle, the Army continued its multi-pronged attack throughout the day. Separately, fighter jets claimed to have targeted an LTTE “senior leaders’ gathering” at Jayapuram in Killinochchi on Thursday. However, the pro-LTTE TamilNet alleged that 790 children and 22 teachers at the Kanakapuram Maha Viththiyaalayam school had a narrow escape when four fighter jets dropped bombs barely 100 meters away from their school in the Kilinochchi suburb.

Source: hindu.com