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| Sri Lanka tourist city on alert | Sri Lanka tourist city on alert |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Soldiers are on high alert in the Sri Lankan tourist city of Galle, a day after an attack by Tamil Tiger rebels against the a local naval base. | Soldiers are on high alert in the Sri Lankan tourist city of Galle, a day after an attack by Tamil Tiger rebels against the a local naval base. |
| Security has been tightened and policemen have been sent from the capital, Colombo. At least two people died in Wednesday's attack. | Security has been tightened and policemen have been sent from the capital, Colombo. At least two people died in Wednesday's attack. |
| Life in Galle is returning to normal and tourists are moving around. | |
| The government says the rebels targeted the military installation and not the tourists during Wednesday's attack. | The government says the rebels targeted the military installation and not the tourists during Wednesday's attack. |
| The island's leisure industry has already suffered from the months of violence. | The island's leisure industry has already suffered from the months of violence. |
| By attacking so far south in a tourist hub, the Tigers are hitting Sri Lanka economically as well as militarily, say analysts. | By attacking so far south in a tourist hub, the Tigers are hitting Sri Lanka economically as well as militarily, say analysts. |
| Low expectations | Low expectations |
| The escalation in violence comes just nine days before both sides are to attend talks in Geneva and the American, Japanese and Norwegian negotiators are in the country to try and ensure the dialogue goes ahead. | The escalation in violence comes just nine days before both sides are to attend talks in Geneva and the American, Japanese and Norwegian negotiators are in the country to try and ensure the dialogue goes ahead. |
| Smoke rises from Galle harbour after the attack | Smoke rises from Galle harbour after the attack |
| The Norwegian peace envoy, Jon Hanssen-Bauer, is due to meet rebel leaders to prepare an agenda for talks that the two sides have agreed to hold at the end of the month in Geneva. | The Norwegian peace envoy, Jon Hanssen-Bauer, is due to meet rebel leaders to prepare an agenda for talks that the two sides have agreed to hold at the end of the month in Geneva. |
| US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher has also arrived in the country for talks with the government and Tiger leaders. | US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher has also arrived in the country for talks with the government and Tiger leaders. |
| Mr Boucher is on a two-day visit to push the two sides to return to peace talks. | Mr Boucher is on a two-day visit to push the two sides to return to peace talks. |
| But analysts say given the climate of violence, even if they do meet, expectations of progress are low. | But analysts say given the climate of violence, even if they do meet, expectations of progress are low. |
| The Tamil Tigers have made no comment on the latest incident. | The Tamil Tigers have made no comment on the latest incident. |
| Both the government and Tamil Tigers say they will attend peace talks in Geneva next week, although few expect a breakthrough. | Both the government and Tamil Tigers say they will attend peace talks in Geneva next week, although few expect a breakthrough. |
| Before a ceasefire was agreed in 2002, more than 60,000 people were killed in two decades of civil war. | Before a ceasefire was agreed in 2002, more than 60,000 people were killed in two decades of civil war. |
| The Tamil Tigers are fighting for an independent homeland in the north and east of the country, and claim that ethnic Tamils have suffered decades of discrimination at the hands of Sri Lanka's Sinhalese majority. | The Tamil Tigers are fighting for an independent homeland in the north and east of the country, and claim that ethnic Tamils have suffered decades of discrimination at the hands of Sri Lanka's Sinhalese majority. |