COLOMBO Oct 9: Tamil Tiger rebels Monday accused the government of denying food supplies to war-torn northern Jaffna Peninsula to "starve Tamils into submission. '' reports AP.

The rebel statement from its office In London said the distribution of bread has been rationed since Sunday following a serious wheat flour shortage.

'The government's secret agenda of straying the Tamils into submission has been revealed by several sources." the statement said.

Government officials in Colombo denied the rebel claim and said food supplies for a month are available in the Peninsula. "Loading has been slow because of various problems, but it is continuing.’ said Mohammed Rafeek. an official at the Commission

General of Essential Services.

But the government administrator in Jaffna warned that there could be starvation in refugee camps. "Already the displaced people who do not have money to purchase food are in difficulties... In a week’s time, there could be starvation in the refugee camps." said K Ponnambalam. the government’s top administrative officer in the Peninsula. He is visiting Colombo to resolve the problem.

Ships charted by the government carry up to 9,000 metric tons of food supplies every month for the 800.000 people living in the rebel-held area. A military siege since 1991 has cut off all land routes to the Peninsula.

The fighting has forced nearly half the population to flee and live in refugee camps and depend on government

supplies.

In July, the supplies were disrupted when the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stopped escorting the food ships as the rebels withdrew an assurance not to attack the vessels.

The Red Cross resumed escorting the ships a month later after talks with the government. But only two of the four vessels hired for food supplies have reached the Peninsula since then.

The rebels have warned Tamil civilians In the Peninsula that a major military offensive against Jaffna town, the rebel stronghold in Srl Lanka, is imminent.

Government officials have declined comment on the rebel claim, but there has been a military build up at Palali.

Meanwhile. Tamil rebels ambushed a patrol of elite police commandos in eastern Sri Lanka early Monday, killing at least eight of them, a police official said.

Another seven commandos were wounded in the attack by nearly 200 guerillas in Ampara district, said a local police official on condition of anonymity.

PT1 adds: LTTE morter attacks in northern Lanka killed nine inmates of a home for elders in Puttur in Jaffna Peninsula early today, the Defence Ministery said.

The spokesman said that the LTTE fired "pasilan" mortars towards Puttur area currently under the control of the army. Two of the mortar bombs fell near the Methodist Church and Puttur Hospital while the third fell on the home for the elders.