The Sri Lankan government said Sunday it was surprised by the ruling of the international truce monitors saying that the government's air strikes last Tuesday on Tamil Tiger selected targets was a violation of the ongoing truce agreement.

Keheliya Rambukwella, minister of Policy Planning and the government's defense spokesman said Sunday: "I am surprised by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) ruling."

The SLMM on Saturday said the air strikes carried out by the Sri Lankan government on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE) held area of Sampur in the eastern port district of Trincomalee was a truce violation.

Rambukwella said the attack was carried out as a deterrent to stop further attacks by the LTTE after their suicide attack against Army chief Sarath Fonseka on Tuesday.

"It was action to ensure national security," Rambukwella added, saying that the Head of the SLMM, Ulf Henricsson during a meeting with the government peace secretariat had agreed that targets were selected rebel positions.

Sri Lanka military launched strikes from the air, sea and land after a LTTE woman suicide bomber attempted to assassinate the army chief, killing 11 people and injuring 30 others.

The defense officials here Sunday said that rebel internecine clashes had flared up in the Eastern Province in the early hours with some 12 bodies found at the scene.

This was believed to be the aftermath of the mainstream LTTE faction attacking the renegade faction led by its former eastern commander Karuna.

The issue of Karuna whom the mainstream says is being aided and abetted by the government troops figured high in the February round of talks between the government and the LTTE.

The second round of talks scheduled for April 24-25 did not take place as a serious dispute arose with regard to the movement of the LTTE's eastern commanders to the rebel held north.

The government denied a helicopter ride for the LTTE who in turn rejected the government's offer to travel by sea.

The Norwegian peace facilitators are still hopeful of getting the two sides back to the negotiating table despite the ongoing violence and killings.

Source: Xinhua