TRINCOMALEE, April 11: Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels on Sunday launched a new front in their offensive to remove a renegade commander in a further blow to the island's faltering peace process, officials said.

The main Tamil Tiger force mounted the initial onslaught from the north eastern port district of Trincomalee, but another drive was launched from the opposite direction, military sources and aid officials said.

Tigers had taken control over Vakarai and from the second advance took several coastal bases of the renegade leader V. Muralitharan, also known as Karuna, the sources said.

Karuna's positions in Akkaraipattu and Tirrukkovil fell to the advancing second column on Saturday, the sources said. -AFP