Sri Lanka sends troops as Nordic monitors pull out of Trincomalee

Jan. 18 (AFP) - Sri Lanka poured more troops into the restive northeastern port district of Trincomalee fearing more rebel attacks, as Scandinavian monitors pulled out of the volatile area, officials said.















Jan. 18 (AFP) - Sri Lanka poured more troops into the restive northeastern port district of Trincomalee fearing more rebel attacks, as Scandinavian monitors pulled out of the volatile area, officials said. The deployment follows the triggering of a mine by suspected Tamil Tiger rebels against a navy bus Tuesday which wounded 12 sailors and sparked the withdrawal of the monitors, a military official said.

"With no monitoring of the ceasefire anymore in Trincomalee, we think it leaves the door wide open for the Tigers to escalate attacks," a military official in the area said by telephone on Wednesday.

The Norwegian-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) said their first ever suspension of work in an entire district followed an escalation of violence that culminated in Tuesday's mine attack against the navy.

"The SLMM has decided to suspend operational activities in Trincomalee until further notice," it said in a statement. But it added that it planned "to resume normal monitoring activities