Curfew clamped on Lankan town

Trincomalee, 260km north-east of the capital Colombo, was put under indefinite curfew after police fired teargas to disperse a mob led by the Marxist JVP, or People's Liberation Front, an official said.

"They wanted to march to an area where Tiger sympathisers were having a meeting," a senior officer said when contacted by telephone. "We dispersed the mob and declared curfew to prevent any violence."

The police move came as the defence ministry accused the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of breaking an Oslo-arranged truce and opening fire at security forces at Veppankulam, in the island's north, on Thursday.

"The gunfire missed the target and hit a bus injuring two passengers," the ministry said. It also accused the Tigers of raising their flag in areas held by government forces in violation of the truce.

The LTTE denied opening fire and in turn accused the military of shooting civilians, injuring two.

Similar clashes have erupted across the north and east since the LTTE launched the "heroes' week" remembrance last Sunday.

"The LTTE vehemently condemns these types of activities of the Sri Lanka armed forces that may tend to create a totally undesirable confrontational situation," the group warned, referring to the skirmishes.