KARUNA SHINSHO, ASIA TONIGHT: A U.S. journalist is recovering from emergency surgery in a Sri Lanka hospital after being injured in a skirmish between federal forces and Tamil rebels. Iqbal Athas has more.</s>IQBAL ATHAS, JOURNALIST (voice-over): U.S. journalist Marie Colvin, who works for Britain's Sunday Times, underwent emergency surgery at a government-run eye hospital in the capital, Colombo, for injuries she sustained in a skirmish between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels Monday night. The skirmish happened as she tried to enter defense lines near the government-held northern town of Vavuniya after visiting a rebel-held district. She was flown in an air force aircraft to Colombo for emergency surgery. U.S. embassy officials later moved her to a private nursing home, where she is recuperating. In a three-page statement, the government accused her of traveling to a rebel-held area without permission. A four-day government truce on account of (inaudible) observed by majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils ended at dawn today. As troops prepared again for action, the Sri Lankan government took delivery of a consignment of new weapons from the Czech Republic. They included multi-barrel rocket launchers, battle tanks and recovery vehicles. Iqbal Athas, for CNN, Colombo.
U.S. Journalist Wounded In Sri Lanka