Suspected Tamil Tigers shot dead a soldier in eastern Sri Lanka after the rebels warned that Norways renewed efforts to broker peace in the island were in jeopardy, a local official said
The victim, a member of an intelligence unit, was taken off of a bus and killed in broad daylight near the town of Batticaloa, the official said.rn
rnThe killing came on the eve of a visit to Sri Lanka by Norways Foreign Minister Jan Petersen in a bid to jumpstart peace talks to end the three-decade ethnic conflict which has claimed over 60,000 lives.rn
rnThe Tigers said a ceasefire brokered by Norway in place since February 2002 was at risk because government troops were behind the killing Thursday of two of their cadres in Batticaloa, 300 kilometres (190 miles) east of Colombo.rn
rnThe military has denied the charge. At least 12 people, including rebels, have been killed in the past two weeks in the islands east in violence involving the rebels.
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rn"It is apparent that the killers have all the assistance fro