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Violence erupts again: One soldier killed, two injured
Suspected Tamil Tigers exploded a claymore mine and opened fire at troops in two separate incidents in the north and east yesterday as cease-fire monitors warned the spate of violence could jeopardize peace talks, officials said.
A truck with 12 soldiers onboard, carrying food rations was caught in the explosion along the Point Pedro-Palaly road in Neerveli, Jaffna around 4:45 p.m, military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe, said.

A soldier and a bystander were injured when the fragmentation mine -- usually operated by remote control -- hidden near a tree, exploded. Hours earlier, suspected LTTE cadres fired three rounds of 60 millimeter mortars and two rounds from a rocket-propelled launcher at government troops manning a point at Selva Nagar, south of Trincomalee, Brig. Samarasinghe said.

Two soldiers were injured and one later succumbed to his injuries, he said.
Scandinavian ceasefire monitors who visited the scene and sought verification from the LTTE said they saw the body of one Tiger cadre. The government in a statement called the attacks "blatant violations of the cease-fire and commitments made in Geneva."

"The LTTE is called upon to desist from such attacks at a time when preparations are underway for the second round of talks in Geneva," it said.
Talks on how to save a fragile cease-fire are set to begin on April 19.
The government raised the issue with the Norwegian ambassador Hans Brattskar, the officials said.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa summoned a meeting at 10 p.m. with his top advisors to discuss the situation. The Tigers also accused the military of firing artillery shells from Kaddaiparichan army camp, injuring a civilians and damaging several houses. The LTTE had made an official complaint about the incident to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission.

The surge of attacks took place a day after pro-LTTE politician Vanniasingham Vigneswaran was gunned down by two men who rode up on a motorcycle in Trincomalee.

Meanwhile, troops in Kaddaiparichan said they had heard a powerful explosion in areas controlled by the LTTE. Unconfirmed reports indicate that at least eight LTTE cadres were killed in a confrontation with the breakaway Karuna group.

Scandanavian cease-fire monitors have expressed concern over the worsening situation."The situation is reminiscent of what we had in December and January when we warned both parties that such an escalation of violence could not only undermine the ceasefire but result in something much worse," SLMM spokesperson Helen Olafsdottir, said.

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