Chennai, Feb 16 : Siritunga Jayasuriya, a leader of Sri Lanka''s United Socialist Party, now on a visit to India, said that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), will retaliate if the Sri Lankan army continues the military war against them.

He asserted this in the course of an exclusive interview with ANI here on Sunday by contending the military action against the LTTE is not the permanent solution unlike a dialogue between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE.

Siritunga Jayasuriya said that winning the war by military means would not be an end to the Tamil problem. It will only strengthen Prabhakaran or the LTTE.

"At the same time, I want to say now this Tamil national question has gone out of the borders, gone over the waters of Sri Lanka. It may start next time as a question forming new movements in Tamil Nadu because it has become an international issue," Jayasuriya added.

He also criticised the political leaders of Tamil Nadu for staging a drama on the Tamil issue and observed that they were unfit to solve the ongoing battle.

"Over the years it has been happening. People have got up pressurising the Indian Government and other international governments. I think this is a part of their drama," added Siritunga.

He said that condemnation of the attacks by the United States or India won''t stop the war.

In the past week, thousands of people have fled the war zone as fighting between Sri Lankan troops and the LTTE intensified. (ANI)