News In Brief

Tamil homes reported raided in Sri Lankan Army roundup

Army attacks were reported Wednesday on 14 homes of the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka's troubled Jaffna region. Two alleged terrorists were killed and 80 suspects were rounded up by security forces. A guerrilla group threatened to bomb the main railroad station in Colombo, the capital, to stop authorities from sending Army reinforcements and arms to the Tamil-dominated north. Tamil separatists have said they may be willing to halt attacks on security forces if authorities withdraw Sinhalese troops and police from the northern part of Sri Lanka within seven days.

Meanwhile in India, celebrations of the country's 37th anniversary of independence were marred yesterday by demonstrations against the Sri Lankan drive. Schools and colleges in south India's Tamil Nadu State were closed for a week to head off protests, and angry politicians stormed out of Parliament in New Delhi after accusing the government in Colombo of unleashing genocide against the island's minority Tamils.