Sri Lanka on Friday reopened roads linking government and Tamil Tiger rebel-held territory after two days of airstrikes against guerrilla areas ended, but the threat of a return to civil war remained amid continuing bloodshed.
The military seized three T-56 automatic rifles in Trincomalee, the hotbed of the current violence, on Thursday night from two suspected rebels, said military spokesman Brig Prasad Samarasinghe.
This week's violence, including two days of government airstrikes against rebel positions and a suicide bombing in the capital, posed the most serious threat yet to a 2002 truce between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels seeking a separate state in the north of the country.
But in a sign that tensions may be easing, the military said yesterday it would halt the air strikes - which rebels say sent thousands fleeing their homes and killed 12 civilians - so long as the insurgents stopped their attacks.
There were no air strikes overnight.
Samarasinghe said roads linking government controlled territory and rebel held areas in the eastern part were reopened to civilians.
{{/usCountry}}Samarasinghe said roads linking government controlled territory and rebel held areas in the eastern part were reopened to civilians.
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