COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, June 12 (UPI) -- Tamil rebels are preparing for a war with the Sri Lankan government, insisting that the stalled peace process cannot solve ethnicity-based differences.
The Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam are beefing up bunkers and check points in areas under their control, The Asian Age newspaper reported Monday.
"People coming from LTTE areas have seen sandbags being piled up and frontline positions being strengthened," said a news report quoting a resident of rebel-controlled Batticaloa.
He said Tigers are telling people that the internationally brokered peace process would not achieve anything and that war is the only solution.
"The fear is real. Everyone here thinks there is going to be a war," said another resident. Following the collapse of peace talks last week on the issue of the role of Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission, many residents of rebel-held regions anticipate a possible war.
The chances of an imminent war gained ground after Norway, the facilitator of the Sri Lankan peace process, blamed Tigers for the impasse and asked the government to clarify if they wanted to abide by a 2002 truce or not.
Families in the northern district of Jaffna have started hoarding essential commodities such as sugar and fuel to survive during conflict.
