Sri Lanka rebels declare ceasefire

SRI LANKA’S rebels declared a unilateral ceasefire yesterday, but the government refused to halt its offensive into the last strip of land the insurgents hold despite concerns for tens of thousands of civilians trapped there.

A top UN official urged Sri Lankan leaders to let aid into the tiny war zone along the north-eastern coast, as reports have grown of starvation and casualties among those stuck inside.

The rebels, who have voluntarily halted their fight before, said in a statement that the “humanitarian crisis can only be overcome by the declaration of an immediate ceasefire”.