Annan disturbed by LTTE attack

UNITED NATIONS, May 13, 2006 (AFP) UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Friday made a fresh appeal to the government and Tamil rebels to end violence and resume Norwegian-brokered peace talks.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Annan who is on a visit to Austria, was "disturbed by the news of major sea and aerial attacks in Sri Lanka, including an attack on a vessel that had unarmed international monitors on board."

Dujarric said the UN chief took note of a statement by Scandinavian monitors demanding that the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) "immediately cease all operations at sea.

Annan added that "it is unacceptable to attack vessels that are carrying SLMM (Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission) monitors."