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Tigers agree to resume peace talks

From Journalist Iqbal Attas

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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- Tamil Tiger rebels have agreed to resume peace talks with Sri Lankan government representatives in Geneva on October 28 and 29.

Meanwhile, the head of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), S.P. Tamilselvan, told Norway's ambassador to Sri Lanka of his group's willingness to resume talks, diplomatic sources in Colombo told CNN.

However, Tamilselvan warned that the rebels would pull out of the talks if Sri Lankan security forces resumed any offensive before the talks resume.

Ambassador Hans Brattskar flew to the northern government-held town of Vavuniya and drove from there to rebel-held Kilinochchi for talks.

An official announcement from Norway about the resumption of talks was expected Wednesday, the sources added.

Earlier Tamilselvan wrote to Scandinavian truce monitors complaining that Sri Lankan security forces were preparing an offensive to seize control of more rebel-held areas.

The government, however, has said it would not launch fresh offensives but reserved the right to do so if attacked.

Since 1983, the rebels have been fighting for a separate homeland for 3.2 million predominantly Hindu Tamils. The Tamils say they have suffered decades of discrimination by the dominant 14 million Sinhalese, most of whom are Buddhist.

The conflict killed an estimated 65,000 people before a 2002 cease-fire. Since April, when fighting intensified again, hundreds of combatants and civilians have been killed and about 220,000 people displaced.

The Tamil Tigers were founded in 1976, and the group's tactics include suicide bombings against military and civilian targets.

The U.S. State Department designated the Tamil Tigers a foreign terrorist organization in 1997.

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