Europe accuses Sri Lankan army of assassinating aid workers

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Hours before the Sri Lankan President is due to meet Tony Blair in London today, European ceasefire monitors have accused his security forces of the "assassination" of 17 aid workers from a French NGO.

Even as Mahinda Rajapakse meets Mr Blair to discuss the crisis in his country, the Sri Lankan military is accused of what has been called the most serious attack on humanitarian workers in the world since the bombing of the UN compound in Baghdad in 2003.

The accusation will increase the pressure on Mr Blair to push Mr Rajapakse for an end to the continuing violence between his forces and Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka, just days after his government launched a new offensive close to where the killings took place

Seventeen local employees of the French NGO, Action Contre la Faim, (ACF) were found dead in the town of Muttur earlier this month. Fifteen were found in the NGO's local office with bullet wounds to their heads. The bodies of two others were found in their car near by; they had apparently been trying to flee.

Telegraph (Belfast)