Colombo, Jan 3: The Sri Lankan Government has formally withdrawn from a ceasefire agreement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). It said rising violence had made the Norwegian-brokered truce redundant.

The treaty came into effect in February 2002.

"The Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) had been violated nearly 10,000 times by the Tamil Tigers, so we should annul this agreement," the BBC quoted Sri Lankan Defence spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella, as saying.

Since December 2005 at least 5,000 people have been killed in clashes between the military and the LTTE.

The LTTE has been fighting since 1983 for a separate homeland for ethnic minority Tamils in Sri Lanka.

About 70,000 people are estimated to have lost their lives in the conflict.

Since mid-2006 Sri Lankan army and LTTE have fought regular clashes despite the deal still technically being in place. (ANI)