Colombo Sep 3 (IANS) Wildlife officials in Sri Lanka will soon be armed with assault rifles to protect elephants from poachers and to save human lives in the long standing human-elephant conflict.

The weapons are to be bought on a recommendation by the Sustainable Development Wildlife and Regional Development Minister Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said. The total number of weapons to be imported is 2 568 Xinhua news agency reported.

Deputy Minister of Wildlife Palitha Thewarapperuma said the purchase of assault rifles would be connected with the human-elephant conflict caused mainly as a result of people encroaching into the jungle habitat of elephants.
"At present wildlife officials are reluctant to intervene when civilians and elephants are threatened " he said.
Cabinet spokesperson Gayantha Karunathilaka said in August that the death toll from Sri Lanka s human-elephant conflict has hit a record high with over 375 people killed by wild elephants and over 1 100 elephants killed by humans within the last five years.
Karunathilaka said that in order to find a solution to the bitter battle the government had decided to extend electric fences near national parks and vulnerable villages as part of a new drive to protect people and wild elephants.
Elephants in Sri Lanka are protected by law. Killing wild elephants is a punishable offence but there have been regular reports of angry villagers poisoning or shooting them.
Official records show the population of wild elephants is estimated at 7 500 in Sri Lanka.

--IANS anp/mr