Sri Lanka gets fresh weapons

Rocket launchers were used to stall a rebel advance

Arms worth an estimated $2.5m have been delivered to Sri Lanka despite an ongoing peace initiative with Tamil Tiger rebels.

The shipment is from the Czech Republic, which is a key supplier of military hardware to Sri Lanka.

A military spokesperson said the timing of the shipment had nothing to do with the peace initiative.

A date for talks between the two sides would be announced by the end of this month, he said.

Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne refused to name the vessel but said its cargo included multi-barrel rocket launchers which were used to stall a major rebel offensive in April last year.

"The ship arrived with a cargo of arms," he said. "They were part of a consignment ordered last year."

The shipment also included tanks, tank transporters and other military vehicles and is said to be one of the largest single consignments of weapons in recent times.

Ceasefire

In February this year, Pakistan offered Colombo a $20m loan to buy arms.

Islamabad is one of the largest suppliers of military hardware to Sri Lanka, but Colombo also depends on the Czechs for weapons.

Last week Sri Lankan forces began a four-day ceasefire to mark the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year - the only holiday the two communities on the island share.

But in the early hours of Monday a gun battle between the two sides took place off the northern coast, believed to have started after the navy caught the rebels unloading supplies at sea.

More than 64,000 people are estimated to have been killed since the Tamil Tiger rebels began their fight for an independent homeland in the north and east of Sri Lanka nearly 20 years ago.