Sri Lankan forces 'ready to meet rebel threats'

Sri Lanka’s newly-appointed top military general today said his forces were ready to meet any threat from Tamil Tiger rebels, but he would guard against “falling prey” to rebel provocations.

“We are ready for any situation … we have not dropped our guard,” Major General Sarath Fonseka told reporters after officially taking over his post.

His comment came after Tamil Tiger rebels killed six Sri Lankan soldiers in the northern city of Jaffna earlier today, an army spokesman said.

The deaths in Jaffna, where the rebels operate, coincided with the new hawkish military commander taking over after a ceremony in Colombo.

The rebel attack and his comments could further strain the government’s already uneasy ceasefire with the insurgents.

“I have not lost a single battle. I hope to remain a challenge to any terrorist group or their activities,” Fonseka, a battle-hardened soldier with 35 years in the infantry, told a news conference.