The government yesterday said it will not go in for a ceasefire during the Christmas and New Year season despite an appeal made by the Catholic and Anglican Bishops.Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) Director Lakshman Hulugalla told Daily Mirror that the government reiterated its stance that it would declare a ceasefire only if the LTTE laid down its arms to go in for a political discussion.“The government has categorically said that it would go in for a ceasefire only if the Tigers laid down their arms. Till then there will be no decision of a ceasefire,” Mr. Hulugalla said.Catholic and Anglican Bishops, yesterday called for a truce between the government and the LTTE during the Christmas and New Year period.The Bishops from Colombo, Kurunegala and the conflict areas in the North, request a period free from military action that will in turn benefit the civilians in the area while depicting a politically mature image of Sri Lanka to the international community.The Bishops in a statement believed that the season would be an ideal time for the restoration of the severed ties between the races, when persons from all faiths would be brought together in celebrating a holiday that inspires giving, sharing and forgiveness.The statement further requested the government to work in coordination with the ICRC and set up safety zones for civilians where they could be safe from the ongoing violence.Meanwhile, as fighting continues in the north, the military has vowed to capture the rebel stronghold Killinochchi soon despite Tiger claims that the army had suffered a debacle in its latest attempt to enter Killinochchi town.Military Spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that military operations were going exactly as planned which is why the liberation of Killinochchi was not far away.“We are trying to capture Kilinochchi as soon as possible as our military operations are going exactly to what we had planned,” he said.