Sri Lanka accuse Tigers of ‘stealth war’ as death toll hits 27

Sri Lanka on Tuesday accused Tamil Tiger rebels of unleashing a "stealth war" after seven soldiers were blown up in a mine blast in the troubled north, bringing the death toll since the weekend to 27.







Sri Lanka on Tuesday accused Tamil Tiger rebels of unleashing a "stealth war" after seven soldiers were blown up in a mine blast in the troubled north, bringing the death toll since the weekend to 27. Six soldiers and one officer were riding in a military tractor-trailer near a landmark Hindu temple outside the town of Jaffna, 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of the capital Colombo, when a claymore mine exploded, officials said.

It was the second major strike against government forces since Sunday, when a near-identical attack also killed seven, the military said.

"The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are engaged in a stealth war against Sri Lankan security forces using the cover of the ceasefire agreement," the government said in a statement.

"It is clear to all that the LTTE, which participated in peace talks with successive governments for the past three and a half years, has not transformed from its terrorist tendencies.

"

Three Swiss aid workers and their local driver na