'Tiger attack on navy boat violation of truce'

The Norwegian-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission said the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) violated the ceasefire agreement by attacking the craft three days ago. There were no casualties in the shooting.

However, a member of the team monitoring Sri Lanka's fragile ceasefire was injured after diving for cover when the patrol boat was fired on near the eastern port of Trincomalee.

The cease-fire monitoring group has no legal clout to enforce their rulings.

A spokeswoman of the monitoring group however said the Tigers had undermined the spirit of the ceasefire and violated part of the agreement that refers to the use of direct or indirect weapons against each other.

Meanwhile, at least two people were killed in Sri Lanka's restive eastern province Friday in what military officials described as escalating rebel factional fighting.

A breakaway faction of the Tamil Tigers clashed with the main rebel outfit in the eastern region of Mahindapura early Friday, leaving at least one dead and several injured, a military official here said.