Sri Lanka not to buy weapons from China and Pakistan

India is urging Sri Lanka not to buy weapons from China and Pakistan to fight Tamil rebels, New Delhi's national security advisor said.

"We are the big power in the region. It is very clear," M. K. Narayanan told reporters Thursday evening.

"Whatever their requirements, they (Sri Lanka) should come to us. We will give what is necessary," he said after meeting Tamil Nadu state chief minister M. Karunanidhi.

At the same time, Narayanan insisted that India would not provide any "offensive" weaponry to Sri Lanka, where fighting has escalated between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

The comments followed reports that Sri Lanka had told India it would have to approach China and Pakistan for arms, if India was unable to supply them.

Sri Lanka blames its inability to track down low-flying Tamil Tiger aircraft on a "faulty" radar supplied by India. Sri Lankan officials have also said that New Delhi objected to Colombo trying to secure a better radar from China.

However, both China and Pakistan are key suppliers of small arms to Sri Lankan security forces.

Islamabad supplied multi-barrel rocket launchers to Sri Lankan troops in 2000 when Tiger rebels were on the verge of capturing the northern Jaffna peninsula. India at the time offered help to evacuate 40,000 troops in Jaffna.

An increase in attacks on Indian fishermen across the narrow Palk Straits in recent weeks has strained relations between the two neighbours.

The federal security adviser visited Chennai, formerly known as Madras, after the state's chief minister raising concerns about the safety of Indian Tamils fishing in the straits, between India and Sri Lanka.

A dozen Indian fishermen were abducted in late March by the LTTE and five reportedly killed.

Narayanan said India would strengthen security in the straits.

"We will ensure the protection of our fishermen to the extent possible," he said, adding that the LTTE's role in killing of the five men was "fairly clear."