Sri Lankan Govt Denies Acquiring Chemical WeaponsSri Lankan government categorically denied on Friday the separatist Tamil Tiger rebel accusation that it has acquired weapons with chemical warheads."No such procurement has been made and there are no plans to obtain them." the Presidential Secretariat said in a short statement. "The government requests all media to desist from assisting the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) in its attempts to spread such lies." it added. The government warned that it would take sternest action against any institution or person who may act irresponsibly in this manner. The LTTE rebels accused on Thursday the government of purchasing Russian-made chemical weapons and warned of disastrous consequences if they were inducted. "We are perturbed over reports that the Sri Lankan government has purchased new infantry weapon system with chemical warheads." the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels said in a statement. "The acquisition of this banned weapon by Sri Lanka marks a new and dangerous escalation of the armed conflict in the island." it added. The LTTE rebels called upon the international community to condemn Sri Lanka for the acquisition of weapons with chemical warheads and to impress upon the government the detrimental effects of their use in the Tamil homeland. The rebels have been fighting against government forces since 1983 in the north and east of the country attempting to set up an independent Tamil homeland there. More than 64,000 people have died in the brutal ethnic war. |
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