Sri Lanka air strikes cease as thousands flee

COLOMBO - Sri Lanka's military said crossing points to Tamil Tiger territory had reopened yesterday and that it had ceased bombing rebel targets, but did not rule out more attacks as the island teetered on the brink of war.

The heavy firing of Tuesday and Wednesday has ceased, but both sides have vowed to retaliate if attacked again. If violence halts, diplomats say peace talks might still be possible.

A suicide bomb attack that killed 10 and wounded the Army's commander was followed by air strikes on Tamil Tiger territory in the east.

The pro-rebel website Tamilnet quoted Tiger northeastern political chief S Elilan as saying the rebels awaited instructions from their leadership, but any retaliation would be "catastrophically disabling". Army spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said there had been no new military action.

The Tigers say 12 civilians were killed at Trincomalee and 40,000 have fled their homes. Aid workers say that figure is probably an overestimate, but the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said it believed thousands had been displaced.

- REUTERS