State Of Emergency In Sri Lanka

Investigation Into Foreign Minister's Assassination Begins

(AP)  Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency and deployed troops to search for suspects Saturday after the assassination of the foreign minister, while the government warned the slaying was a serious setback to the country's fragile peace process.

The military blamed the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels for the death of 73-year-old Lakshman Kadirgamar, who was shot in the head and heart late Friday by snipers after finishing a swim at his home. Kadirgamar, an ethnic Tamil himself, had led efforts to ban the Tamil rebels as a terrorist organization but later backed peace negotiations.

The rebel group's political chief on Saturday denied any role in the killing and criticized officials for "hastily blaming" the group.

"We also know that there are factions within the Sri Lankan Armed forces operating with a hidden agenda to sabotage the cease-fire agreement," said S.P. Tamilselvan. He urged Colombo to thoroughly investigate the killing.

Officials said seven suspects have been detained for questioning.

Kadirgamar's death was sure to put pressure on the cease-fire between the government and the separatist rebels — a truce already shaken by a two-year stall in peace talks.

"It is a grave setback to the peace process. Restarting (the peace process) will be seriously undermined," Jayantha Dhanapala, head of the government body handling the peace process, told reporters.

Kadirgamar will be publicly cremated in the capital on Monday with state honors, a Cabinet member said, adding that the government declared it a day of mourning and ordered all the country's cinemas, liquor shops and meat vendors to close that day.