Firing halts UN Sri Lanka convoy

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A UN convoy carrying food into rebel-held northern Sri Lanka has turned back after coming under artillery fire.

Shells exploded "uncomfortably" close to the 50-truck convoy inside the Wanni region, a UN spokesman said. It is not clear who was behind the firing.

The UN says the food is urgently needed by more than 200,000 displaced people.

Troops and Tamil Tiger rebels have fought fierce battles in recent weeks as the army advances towards the key rebel town of Kilinochchi.

'Sizeable explosions'

The UN says it is seeking guarantees from both security forces and rebels to allow the convoy to return to rebel-controlled areas on Friday.

We received iron-clad assurances before we left that the convoy would be safe UN spokesman Gordon Weiss <a class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7672251.stm">'The intolerable noise of shells'</a>

UN spokesman in Colombo Gordon Weiss told the BBC the convoy had returned to the town of Vavuniya after the incident.

"There were some explosions close to the convoy and the convoy was stopped," he said. "It was too dangerous to continue."

The UN was seeking reassurances from both parties in the conflict, Mr Weiss said, adding he had "no idea who was responsible" for the shelling.

He was also not sure what type of armaments had been used, but said: "It was not small arms fire. There were some sizeable explosions and some artillery."

Mr Weiss added: "We are not sure the convoy was actually attacked, but it certainly came uncomfortably close to an exchange of fire...

"We are in touch with both the parties. We received iron-clad assurances before we left that the convoy would be safe."

Offensive

The first UN convoy of food aid was sent into rebel-controlled northern Sri Lanka a fortnight ago after the UN and other agencies were ordered out in mid-September.

Mr Weiss said Thursday's convoy was carrying some 750 tonnes of food - enough to feed the population in the Wanni for about a week.

"Humanitarian aid is vital at this stage," he said.

Sri Lanka's military is continuing an offensive aimed at capturing territory controlled by the Tigers and ending their fight for a separate state for the ethnic Tamil minority.

According to the military, soldiers are now only 1.5km (one mile) from the outskirts of Kilinochchi.

But with journalists barred from the area, the claims cannot be independently verified.

Many civilians have fled Kilinochchi to escape the fighting in recent weeks.