Sri Lankan government on Saturday flatly rejected a Tamil Tiger denial of its hand in the assassination of the foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

"Government finds it difficult to accept the denial," Health Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva, who is also the government spokesman, told reporters here Saturday.

De Silva said the killing was a clear violation of the ongoing cease-fire and "a grave setback to the peace process."

The minister stressed that the government would maintain the status quo with regard to the cease-fire.

Jayantha Dhanapala, the head of the government peace secretariat, said, "It was no doubt a grave setback. Re-starting the process has been seriously undermined."

Police chief Chandra Fernando said the late minister's residence surroundings had been under surveillance for sometime.

Two suspects who had video-filmed the surroundings had been arrested by the police two days ago, the police said.

Fernando said the late minister had told the police that all neighbors were trustworthy people and he had no reason to feel threatened.

The police chief added that investigations have progressed smoothly and he was confident of progress.

Source: Xinhua