They are at war in all but name

COLOMBO: Rebel suicide attacks on land and at sea, assassinations, military aerial bombings in retaliation: Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers may both say they honour a 2002 ceasefire, but war has already resumed in all but name.   

Analysts say the Tigers have essentially declared war on the military with a spray of recent attacks, but do not want to be seen as the ones to officially pull out of the truce.

“The bottom line is whether there is a ceasefire agreement or not, they are in a state of war,” said Iqbal Athas, an analyst with Jane’s Defence Weekly. President Mahinda Rajapakse maintains his government is still committed to the truce.

The Tigers, who want to carve out a separate homeland for ethnic Tamils, have pulled out of peace talks indefinitely, and their sea wing has threatened to wage war against anyone who attacks them.