Sri Lanka's army commander has convened a court of inquiry to investigate last week's military debacle in the northern Wanni region, the Defense Ministry said on November 7.

A ministry statement said that the court of inquiry, headed by three senior officers from the three armed services, will look into circumstances and persons leading to the fall of the camps in Wanni to the rebels of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

"Depending on the outcome of the Court of Inquiry severe punishments will be meted out to all those who are found responsible," said the statement.

In a surprise offensive that began late last Monday, LTTE rebels overrun several strategic towns during the last six-day and by Sunday they had regained a large part of the Wanni region which had been recaptured by the army last year.

Following the military debacle, President Chandrika Kumaratunga has made amendments under the Public Security Ordinance to impose censorship on the local and foreign press with effect from Saturday.

These amendments preclude the publication, broadcast or transmit of any material pertaining to any matter inclusive of military operation carried out or being carried out or proposed to be carried out in the Northern and Eastern Provinces except with the permission of the Competent Authority.

Meanwhile, the army commander has made several changes to the command structure of the Wanni operational command, said the ministry statement.

Among the changes, Major General Neil Dias replaced Wanni security forces commander Major General Wasantha Perera, who was made commandant of the army staff college. Some divisional commanders also had their jobs changed.

The LTTE rebels have been fighting for a separate homeland for the minority Tamils in Sri Lanka's north and east since 1983.