COLOMBO. June 5 : The international Red Cross said on Monday It must decide whether to stop work in Srl Lanka now that one its ships has been sunk, apparently by a Tamil rebel mine, reports AP.

"We are willing to continue ... but It Is clear we have to reassess the situation before taking a decision. " said Paul Sruh. a leader of International Committee ol the Red Cross operations in Srl Lanka.

Sruh said that ICRC would seek reasonable guarantees and assurances after holding discussions with all parties concerned

"The ICRC headquarters in Geneva is also discussing the issue and will advise." Sruh told Ilie Associated Press

One sailor was missing and feared dead after the K'RC-hired tug "Sea Dancer’ ex-ploded and sank on Sunday Navy gunboats rescued nine of the 10 Indonesian crewmen, a Red Cross official and a United Nations official Two sailors had been wounded

"The "Sea Dancer" is believed to have been blown up by a floating mine planted by Tamil rebels that could have been intended for naval vessels. said Brig. Sarath Mu nasinghe. the Sri Lankan mill tarys spokesman.

It was the first time a Red Cross ship had been Involved in violence in the war zone since the relief agency began working In Sri Lanka In November 1989

The Tamil rebels, who are mostly Hindu, are fighting for an independent homeland in the north and east. They say Tamils are discriminated against by the predominantly Buddhist Sinhalese majority that controls the government and the military.

The ICRC has been supplying food to more than a million civilians in rebel-held areas. Last week, it condemned a T^nll rebel attack which killed 42 civilians.

The civil war has escalated since rebels broke off a three-month cease fire and pulled out of peace talks on April J9. Since then at least 785 people have been killed in the fighting.