Sri Lanka OKs U.N. visit to 'no-fire zone'

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, April 24 (UPI) -- A Sri Lankan official said Friday his government has agreed in principle to allow U.N. staff inspectors to visit the country's "no-fire zone" in the northeast.

Sri Lankan Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said U.N. personnel based in the capital of Colombo will be allowed into the embattled region once details of the visits are worked out.

"The U.N. must tell us first who would be on the mission, how many days they plan to stay, what they plan to do and so forth, before we give the final green light," Samarasinghe said.

The Sri Lankan official's comments come after U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said Thursday he wanted to send a humanitarian team to the Asian country because of its deteriorating security situation.

North Sri Lanka has been the site of fierce fighting between government forces and the rebel Tamil Tigers.