A Tamil Tiger rebel drove an explosive-laden tractor to amilitary camp in eastern Sri Lanka early Tuesday, drawing fire fromguards and triggering a blast at the entrance, military officials said. Atleast seven people, including the bomber, were killed.

The tractor attack Tuesday took place in the Chenkaladimilitary camp in eastern district of Batticaloa, a hotbed of violence betweenthe rebels and the government.

"Our alert soldiers had detected the tractor and the driver, and hadasked the driver to stop. When he ignored, they opened fire," Samarasinghesaid. The tractor subsequently exploded, he said.

There was no immediate comment from the rebels and phone calls to theirheadquarters in Kilinochchi remained unanswered.

The Tigers launched their fight to create an independent homeland for thecountry's 3.1 million minority Tamils after decades of discrimination by themajority Sinhalese. A Norway-brokered cease-fire signed in 2002 slowed theviolence, but hostilities spiked again in late 2005, with more than 4,000fighters and civilians killed in the last 15 months, according to Europeancease-fire monitors.

An estimated 65,000 people were killed in fighting before the cease-fire.While both sides have not officially withdrawn from the cease-fire, soaringviolence has rendered the agreement valid only on paper.

Source: Agencies