Two-day break in Tamil offensive to allow civilians flee

SRI LANKA’S president ordered a two-day suspension of offensives against Tamil Tiger rebels to enable tens of thousands of trapped civilians to leave the war zone, his office said yesterday.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa directed the armed forces to restrict operations during the Sri Lankan New Year to a defensive nature and renewed his call to the rebel group to “acknowledge its military defeat and lay down its weapons and surrender”, a statement said.

He said the rebels must renounce violence permanently.