Nearly 12,000 LTTE combatants were taken into custody after the war

Police Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) informed Colombo magistrate court that they are still waiting for instructions from the Attorney General (AG) on further action regarding the suspects.

The suspects who were arrested in May last year "while hiding in the camps", police said, are suspected of serious crimes against the state.

But the AG is yet to give instructions on further action, they said. Colombo additional magistrate ordered them to be further remanded until 17 January.

'Abductions'

Security has been tightened around the court complex as the suspects were brought in by the prison authorities.

Human rights watchdogs have earlier voiced concern about the security in camps where relatives of displaced have complained about abductions.

11,696 LTTE personnel were taken into custody and 5,586 have left rehabilitation since the end of the war, according Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Brig Sudantha Ranasinghe.

The government is in the process of taking legal action against 703 ex-LTTE combatants detained in Vavuniya, according to media reports.