COLOMBO, Feb 19: An exodus from the northern district of Vavuniya has begun following a rumour that Tigers will launch a major offensive after Feb 22, the date when the Norway-facilitated truce between the Mahinda Rajapakse Rajapakse government with the Tamil Tiger rebels is completing five years

Sources said civilians had started leaving the region fearing a full-scale war in the area.

However, the LTTE neither confirmed nor deny about the rumour.

An informed northern source said that at least 800 civilians had fled several villages in Vavuniya, the last main government-controlled region.

“Civilians are fleeing due to many reasons. They are fearing of abductions, forced recruitment by the LTTE and arrests by the army on suspicion of being LTTE cadres. But the main reason is that they fear the eruption of a fiercer war than they have ever known if the ceasefire agreement is annulled,” a civilian source in Vavuniya said by telephone.

Despite the rebels’ silence on the matter, defence analysts say the LTTE is likely to be behind the spreading of the rumour of an impending war in the north.