Rebels Resume Push as Official Seeks Talks

Ending a three-day lull in their separatist fight, rebels in Sri Lanka resumed an assault on their former stronghold of Jaffna, while the island’s government said it was time to talk peace. Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar acknowledged that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were fighting a “good battle,” but he said it was time to come to the table after 17 years of war. The government’s appeal came a week after it rejected the offer of a temporary cease-fire to allow nearly 40,000 soldiers to withdraw from the northern Jaffna peninsula, which the rebels seek as part of a Tamil homeland. The rebels made no mention of the government peace offer on their Web sites, but the latest updates showed the rebels had resumed their attack. A government spokesman said at least 40 rebels and six soldiers were killed.