Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse vowed to protect his nation's sovereignty at any cost, threatening Tamil Tiger rebels with tough action if they don't end spiraling violence that claimed at least 12 more lives over the weekend.
The violence adds to fears that a 2002 ceasefire between the rebels and government could collapse, plunging the island nation back into civil war.
Rajapakse said he would not hesitate to take stern action if the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels continue to unleash attacks on security forces.
"If they insist on continuing their attacks, I will have to defend my country," Rajapakse said in an interview published in Colombo's Sunday Times.
"I have vowed to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka," Rajapakse was quoted as saying.
The violence has killed more than 180 people since the start of last month, jeopardizing efforts by Norwegian peace brokers to restart peace talks.
Yesterday, unidentified gunman fatally shot two suspected rebels in northeastern Trincomalee, police said, hours after a Tamil resident was killed in northern Jaffna.
Separately, suspected rebels killed a member of a breakaway faction late on Saturday in eastern Batticaloa.
Also on Saturday, Tamil rebels claimed that naval forces killed eight Tamil civilians in an attack in northern Sri Lanka.
TamilNet, a pro-rebel Web site, claimed the navy surrounded the village of Allaipiddy on the northern Jaffna peninsula and bombarded its residents with grenades.
The navy said that it had no involvement in the incident and yesterday, local residents, speaking on condition of anonymity because of fears of retribution, said unidentified men had raided a home and killed the eight residents in a hail of gunfire.
The motive was not known.
Rajapakse's comments came after the rebels threatened to resume war if they are denied access to the sea adjoining areas they control.
The threat of renewed warfare by the rebels is the latest in a steady escalation of tensions.
The warning came just days after rebel suicide boats rammed and sank a navy patrol craft. The attack on Thursday and a subsequent sea battle killed dozens of people.
Separately, European truce monitors announced they were suspending sea monitoring missions after rebels said that they could be in danger from Tamil Tiger attacks.
The Sri Lankan navy said the monitors had not boarded their craft since Thursday's sea battle, but the navy is continuing its patrols off the north and east.
"We have in fact stepped up our operations," navy spokesman P.D.K. Dassanayake said. "The monitors have told us that they are temporarily suspending their operations."
The Tigers began fighting in 1983 to create a separate state for ethnic minority Tamils, accusing the majority Sinhalese of discrimination. More than 65,000 people died in the conflict before the 2002 truce.
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