Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels on Sunday agreed to lift a water blockade of government-held villages in the northeast _ an issue that had led to some of the fiercest fighting between the two sides in nearly five years. «Our national leader has decided to open the sluice gate in response to a request made by» Norway, the rebels' top political leader, S.P. Thamilselvan, told reporters after talks with a Norwegian peace envoy, Jon Hanssen-Bauer. The rebels cut the water supply to government-held villages last month and the military responded with airstrikes and a ground assault that soon spread to adjoining areas, the Associated Press reported.
