Rajapaksa urges LTTE rebels to surrender

AMBILIPITIYA, Sri Lanka, April 30 (UPI) -- Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said Thursday Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels have no choice but to surrender.

Speaking in the Sri Lankan town of Ambilipitiya, Rajapaksa said Tamil Tigers had four or five days to surrender as he is unprepared to negotiate a cease-fire with the rebel group, ColomboPage said.

"I don't need to go for any cease-fire and I have no time to spend for this kind of unnecessary activities," the president said.

Rajapaksa also spoke about the international call for a cease-fire deal to allow non-combatants to safely combat zones.

"The world must see and know all this. That is why we call this a humanitarian operation," he said.

"This is not how wars are fought in other countries. We have seen how Iraq was bombed. We have seen how Afghanistan is bombed. It must be made clear that before accusing others, you must have the strength to know what you do yourself," Rajapaksa added.

Colombopage said the president's comments came as his government began resettling refugees from the Mannar district following area operations to remove land mines.