SLA dismisses ceasefire offer

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 May 2000, 11:36 GMT]
The Sri Lankan army totally rejected the ceasefire offer by the Liberation Tigers today. An officer at the operational headquarters of the Ministry of defence said this afternoon that the SLA will fight to the last man to defend Jaffna. An official release stating the government's position would be out later this afternoon he said.

The officer said that there was no question of withdrawing from the peninsula. The SLA is confident of its position there as many countries have pledged military assistance to fight the LTTE according to the officer.

He dismissed the LTTE offer for a ceasefire to enable the army to withdraw its troops from Jaffna as psychological warfare tactics.

Two senior Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) officials receiving India's air force chief Anil Yaswant Tipnis at the SLAF headquarters in Colombo Monday, where Air Vice Marshall Tipnis inspected a guard of honour. (Photo:TamilNet)