COLOMBO, Nov 5: Sri Lanka's ethnic Tamil guerrillas are likely to mount a legal challenge to being named terrorists by the United States government, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam will file papers in a Washington DC court on Thursday seeking judicial review of the Clinton administration's decision, the Midweek Mirror quoted unnamed rebel officials in the United States as saying. Lawyers for the group are likely to argue that it is fighting for a just cause and does not pose a threat to other nations, the newspaper said.

There was no immediate confirmation of the report. The guerrillas' official spokesman in their London office was not immediately available for comment.The group earlier said its inclusion on the US list of 30 terrorist organizations was ``unfair, unfounded and irresponsible,'' and would only escalate this island nation's civil war. The designation makes it illegal for the Tigers to solicit funds in the United States.

The Sri Lankan government has welcomed the US decision, saying it will help force the guerrillas to the negotiating table and stop their 14-year-old secessionist war, in which more than 50,000 people have died.

In Colombo, the Tamil Tigers which has suffered major military reverses in the northern Vanni last month is regrouping its forces for yet another counter attack against the troops to inflict maximum casualties before the army succeeds in opening a land route to Jaffna.

Army sources said even after troops blocking of various arterial roads to the LTTE headquarters town of north-eastern Mullaithivu , a major build up of the LTTE was noticed.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.