TAMIL REBELS ON SATURDAY THREATENED TO RESUME WAR IF THEY ARE DENIED ACCESS TO THE SEA, AND CLAIMED NAVAL FORCES KILLED SIX TAMIL CIVILIANS IN AN ATTACK IN NORTHERN SRI LANKA, AP REPORTED. THE THREAT OF RENEWED WARFARE BY THE LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM IS THE LATEST IN A STEADY ESCALATION OF TENSIONS THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY A 2002 CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT WITH THE GOVERNMENT. «WE MOVE WITH COMPLETE FREEDOM IN THESE WATERS TO TRANSPORT OUR CADRES AND TO DISTRIBUTE MATERIAL NEEDS TO OUR MOVEMENT,» COL. SOOSAI, WHO HEADS THE SEA TIGERS, THE REBELS' NAVAL WING, WAS QUOTED AS SAYING BY TAMILNET. «WE WILL NOT HESITATE TO WAGE WAR WITH ANYONE WHO ATTEMPTS TO PREVENT US FROM EXERCISING OUR FREEDOM,» SAID SOOSAI, WHO LIKE MANY REBELS USE ONLY ONE NAME. THE WARNING CAME JUST DAYS AFTER REBEL SUICIDE BOATS RAMMED AND SANK A NAVY PATROL CRAFT. THURSDAY'S ATTACK AND A SUBSEQUENT FIGHTING KILLED DOZENS. THE GOVERNMENT SAID ABOUT 50 INSURGENTS WERE KILLED AND 17 SAILORS WERE DEAD OR MISSING. THE EUROPEAN UNION WARNED THAT THE ATTACK WAS THE WORST INFRACTION OF THE NORWEGIAN-BROKERED TRUCE SINCE IT WAS SIGNED IN FEBRUARY 2002 AND SAID IT COULD JEOPARDIZE THE FUTURE OF PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. LATER SATURDAY, THE PRO-REBEL TAMILNET WEB SITE CLAIMED THE SRI LANKAN NAVY SURROUNDED THE VILLAGE OF ALLAIPIDDY ON THE NORTHERN JAFFNA PENINSULA AND BOMBARDED ITS RESIDENTS WITH GRENADES. NAVY SPOKESMAN D.K.P. DASSNAYAKE SAID SAILORS IN THE AREA HEARD A BLAST BUT HE DENIED THE NAVY WAS INVOLVED.
