COLOMBO, Dec 12 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers today said they may be
willing to attend Japanese-hosted
peace talks in Tokyo and denied responsibility for an
attack on an army patrol that injured two soldiers.
The morning claymore mine attack -- on a foot patrol near the eastern town of Batticaloa shortly before a military convoy passed through -- was the fourth in
recent weeks as a 2002
truce comes under mounting pressure and fears of a return to war rise.
The Tigers denied responsibility for the attack -- as they have for all recent incidents despite widespread disbelief amongst diplomats and analysts -- and said they might be willing to accept a Japanese invitation to peace talks in Tokyo.
''Talks have been held earlier in Japan,'' rebel spokesman Daya Master said from their de facto capital Kilinochchi. ''I don't think the leadership would have any objections to holding talks there.'' Yesterday, visiting Japanese peace envoy Yasushi Akashi said new Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse's
government had pulled back from its predecessor's opposition to overseas talks and that Tokyo would be willing to host the two parties.
The Tigers had previously demanded that any talks be held overseas. Akashi -- who did not visit the Tigers on his recent trip to the island on instructions from the Sri Lankan government -- had said he did not know when talks would be.
Two attacks with claymores -- blocks of plastic explosive that blast a hail of ball bearings or steel fragments when detonated -- earlier in the month killed 14 soldiers in the biggest single breach of the 2002 truce, prompting the stock market to plunge on rising war fears.
A third claymore attack yesterday night narrowly missed a police bus taking officers on leave from the east, the army said.
Police also blamed a grenade attack today that left 20 police officers with minor injuries in the northwestern district of Mannar on the Tigers.
While the rebels and the government have repeatedly said they are willing to talk, the gap between the two is seen as vast and recent low-level meetings between local commanders brokered by truce monitors have always been cancelled at the last minute.
The rebels have warned the government it faces its last opportunity to avert a return to a war that killed over 64,000 people up until the truce, and have threatened to use all available resources to fight for the Tamil homeland they want.
Analysts say the Tigers have used the ceasefire to regroup and rearm, and say the fact they ruined the hopes of Rajapakse's moderate rival during November's presidential election with a boycott that scared hundreds of thousands of Tamils from voting, shows they may not be ready for a lasting peace deal.
With his hardline Buddhist and Marxist allies opposed to any concessions to the rebels, some doubt Rajapakse will be willing to offer anything the Tigers might want to accept.
More reviews about the Sri Lanka rebels may go to Japan, army patrol hit