Colombo: Claiming that the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) backed a series of attacks against their cadres, Tamil Tiger rebels today (May 9, 2004) warned of a serious threat to the island's fragile peace process.

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In a letter to the Norwegian-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) charged that a series of attacks against their cadres had been carried out in the Eastern district of Batticaloa with the help of the Sri Lankan Army and that the ceasefire was in danger.

"It is apparent that the killers have all the assistance from the SLA and we request you to advise the Government that if the SLA continues to act in this manner the entire peace process and the ceasefire agreement are being placed in heavy risk and dire consequence have to be faced.

"We are afraid that it may become impossible for us to be patient onlookers of this cavalier fashion in which killing are being carried out," LTTE's political wing leader S P Thamilselvan said in a letter to the SLMM.

The military has already denied the charge.

Thamilselvan asked SLMM chief Trond Furuhovde to investigate the two killings and institute preventive action.

Local officials said Thursday's (May 6, 2004) killings appeared to have been a retaliatory attack for the slaying of another rebel from the remnants of a renegade faction that was crushed by the Tigers last month.

The LTTE's latest warning on the peace process and the truce came amid stepped up moves by peace broker Norway to jump start the negotiations stalled since April last year.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen is expected tomorrow (May 10, 2004) for talks with Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran on reviving peace talks.