Tigers hunt for renegade colonel

The government says it will give refuge to Col Karuna if asked

Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels are searching in the east of the island for a renegade colonel who led a defeated breakaway faction.

The Tigers have so far found no trace of Colonel Karuna, whose forces dispersed after a weekend of fighting.

The Tigers are back in full control of the east and told civilians to return to their homes without fear.

The colonel broke away last month and fighting between the two factions erupted on Friday.

Death threat

The pro-Tiger TamilNet website reports that all of Col Karuna's bases have now been checked, including the largest at Meenaham.

Col Karuna has not been in contact with the outside world since his forces started disbanding en masse on Monday.

The Sri Lankan government says it will give him refuge if he asks for it.

Civilians return home after safety assurances from the Tigers

However, defence secretary Cyril Herath denied media reports that sanctuary had already been granted and said no such request had been received.

"We have not heard from him. He is very much a man on his own," Mr Herath said.

The head of the political wing in the east, Kausalyan, who remained loyal to the main leadership, said people should return to their homes without fear.

He said only Col Karuna had been expelled from the movement.

The BBC's Anna Horsbrugh-Porter in Colombo says this is widely interpreted as being a death threat for Karuna.

The head of an independent think tank in Colombo, Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, told our correspondent that despite the offer of a general amnesty, there may be a purge of senior commanders from Col Karuna's group.

The Tigers have not forgiven traitors, as they call them, in the past and have always prided themselves on the strength and unity of their organisation.

Col Karuna declared his own separate administration in the east a month ago.

He cited northern discrimination against the eastern wing as his motivation.

Fighting erupted last Friday when the northern group crossed into territory the colonel controlled north of Batticaloa.

The clashes came just days after a new government was elected.