Colombo  – The Sri Lankan government has rejected an offer by Tamil rebels for a ceasefire in the northern part of the country where fighting continues as troops push forward to recapture rebel-held areas, a local newspaper said Monday.

The government's Defence Affairs spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that Tamil rebels would have to comply with the conditions set by the government to lay down arms and surrender to resume talks.

"Any ceasefire is possible only after the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) lays down arms and gives up terrorism," Rambukwella was quoted as saying in the English language Daily Mirror newspaper.

The comments came after Tamil rebel political wing leader, B Nadesan was quoted in the pro-rebel Tamilnet website saying, "there is no hesitation on our side to reiterate our position that we have always wanted a ceasefire."

Nadesan noted that it was the government that unilaterally abrogated the previous ceasefire and claimed that the LTTE was only fighting a "defensive war" thrust upon it by the government.

But Rambukwella said the government commenced its "humanitarian operation" to liberate civilians in the north and east after experiencing a series of violations by the rebels of a Norwegian-backed ceasefire agreement which was unilaterally abrogated by the Sri Lankan government in January this year.

Rambukwella said during the last 30 years Sri Lankans have become quite experienced about the LTTE's ceasefires and learnt many lessons.

"President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government was not ready to let down the countrymen by way of falling into the LTTE trap," the minister said.

The rebel offer comes as government troops were moving closer to the opening of an alternative route along the north-western coastal front in the absence of a land route to the north. The only land route has been closed by the military for security reasons.

Security forces are also outside the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi, 370 kilometres north of the capital, from where the LTTE was maintaining its political and administrative units.

The military launched attacks aimed a liberating rebel-held areas from mid 2006 and since then have recaptured areas in the east, north-west and northern province, but rebels are now confined to parts of two northern districts.

The military claims that more than 12,000 rebels and more than 2,500 soldiers have been killed during the period. (dpa)