COLOMBO, August 17: Red Cross officials here have denied a report by the state-owned radio that the Indian crew members of a merchant vessel hijacked by the LTTE and later bombed by Sri Lankan air force jets had been released.``The news is false and the crew has not been handed over to us yet'', an International Committee of Red Cross spokesman said here in response to an evening report on the radio.
The report, quoting defence sources, had said the Indian crew, including the captain, had been handed over to the Red Cross by the LTTE. The Red Cross is currently negotiating with LTTE to secure the release of the 17 Indian and four Lankan crew members of the ship.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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