Amid mounting global concern over civilian suffering, Sri Lanka on Monday announced that it was ending combat operations against the Tamil Tigers in a bid to end the deaths of non-combatants. The government ordered its security forces to stop using “heavy guns, aerial weapons and combat aircraft” that have allegedly caused thousands of deaths. It said the military would instead start rescuing civilians from a small coastal area still held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). “The government has decided that combat operations have reached their conclusion. Our security forces have been instructed to end the use of heavy caliber guns, combat aircraft and aerial weapons which could cause civilian casualties,” the presidential secretariat said. “Our security forces will confine their attempts to rescuing civilians who are held hostage and give foremost priority to saving civilians,” it said. The death and destruction in the island's north have caused widespread revulsion but Colombo appeared determined to pursue its military offensive until it crushed the LTTE. As fresh fighting broke out Monday in Mullaitivu district, where the LTTE now holds less than 10 sq km area, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi got into the act by suddenly launching a hunger strike on the beachfront in Chennai to demand a ceasefire in Sri Lanka. Tamil Tigers will ‘never surrender' Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers will never surrender and will fight on until their demands are met, rebel spokesman S Puleethevan said on Monday. He said fighting was continuing to rage between the LTTE and security forces on Monday, a day after the government rejected a ceasefire offer from the guerrillas. “We made our position very clear to the international community. We will never surrender till our legitimate demands are met,” Puleethevan said.
