Sri Lanka rejects Tamil ceasefire

Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels have declared a unilateral ceasefire but the country's defence chef has rejected it as a "joke".

The country's military has surrounded the rebels in a tiny area along with thousands of civilians.

The LTTE said in a statement: "In the face of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and in response to the calls made by the UN, EU, the governments of India and others, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has announced a unilateral ceasefire."

However, Sri Lanka's defence chief has dismissed the LTTE's declaration as a "joke", and said the guerrillas must either surrender or be destroyed.

Defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said: "That is a joke. They were not fighting with us, they were running from us. There is no need of a ceasefire. They must surrender. That is it."

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