Para military killings escalate in Sri Lanka

By David Sabapathy - TNS

COLOMBO - A private secretary of the Para military leader and the government backed Eastern Chief Minister Pillayan and another person were shot dead while they were traveling in a car at Oruwala in Athurugiriya in Nugegoda, Capital Colombo on Friday around 11:30 a.m., Police sources told TNS.

Unidentified gunmen had struck around 11.00 am as the car carrying Kumaraswamy Nandagopan and another TMVP operative were passing Steel Corporation. Our correspondent at the scene reports the vehicle, a metallic-gold Volvo has an Eastern Provincial Council registration number EP KH-3685.

The Other TMVP para military Leader Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna, since his deportation back to Sri Lanka from UK, has been demanding the removal of Ragu from the TMVP. Ragu, who came from Australia to join Pillayan, was TMVP party leader when TMVP registered as political party a year ago. The other operative who was slain with Ragu was identified as 29-year-old Sameer Rajkumar.

The rift between the paramilitary leaders Mr. Pillayan and Mr. Karuna recently widened with the Para military outfit TMVP claiming people have now rejected Karuna as the leader of the outfit following a statement made by him to the media heads during a meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa recently.

The internal clash between both factions intensified recently. In October both factions clashed over a claim to the ownership of the party’s printing press in Batticaloa. The tense situation prevailed after a group of Karuna loyalists stormed the party’s printing press located at No.39, Govinda Road in Batticaloa and took control of it forcing the Pillayan supporters to surround. The presidents Brothers Defense Secretary Gotopaya and Special advisor Basil continuously manage both factions behind the scene.

 

Pillayan at the Site

Mr. Pillayan visited the site of the Athurugiriya shooting incident where his personal secretary was killed this morning. The last two weeks there were numerous clashes in the Para military camps in the east.

Meanwhile the reports from east say that Two TMVP paramilitary personnel, Madan and Mani of Kiraan, were killed inside the Pankudaave'li camp of the paramilitary in Karadiyanaa'ru in Batticaloa on November 13, Thursday night around 8:30 p.m., Police sources said. Seven other paramilitary personnel were reported missing with weapons, the sources further said.

On November 10, Monday, a camp of the TMVP paramilitary at Mangkikkaddu in Vavu'natheevu was attacked at 10:45 p.m. Two TMVP personnel were killed and four sustained injuries and fled the camp. Four T56-2 assault rifles, one Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launcher and ammunitions were seized in the raid, according to the Tamil Tigers. 3 RPG propellers, 3 RPG shells, 1200 rounds and 8 hand grenades were also seized in the raid, the Tigers further said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Police spokesman in Colombo, SSP Ranjith Gunasekera blamed that the 'LTTE moles' within the TMVP has killed the two personnel and escaped with weapons. Varman, the main operative of the TMVP at the camp was behind the episode, police in Vavu'natheevu Told TNS.

On November 8, Saturday, a three-member team of attackers infiltrated into the premises of a paramilitary camp, located close to the Kathirave'li Sri Lankan forces camp, carried out a raid and escaped from the locality before Sri Lankan forces managed to cordon off the area, police said. A 16-year-old child recruit of the TMVP was killed and two persons sustained injuries in the raid.

On November 5, Wednesday, Unidentified armed men lying in ambush shot and killed two TMVP Karuna faction men riding on a motorcycle along Chiththaa'ndi Murukan Koayil Veethi, around 5:00 a.m, in Ea'raavoor police division in the Batticaloa district. The killers escaped from the site located 500 m from Murakkoddaancheanai Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp.

Pillayan at the Site

The victims were identified as Pathmanathan Palakirushnan, 26, the person in charge of Chiththaa'ndi office of Karuna group and his assistant, Sinnapillai Yokarajah, 24.

On November 3, Monday Unknown armed persons attacked a camp of TMVP Karuna faction in Ampaa'rai, killing two paramilitary personnel around 11:20 p.m. at Akkaraippattu in Ampaa'rai, Police sources said. Two Karuna's men were wounded in the attack, which has come after Pillayan faction's Pradeep Master was targeted by suspected Karuna personnel.

On November 1, Saturday, Unidentified gunmen shot and injured a TMVP paramilitary-operative in Vaazhaichcheanai police division in Batticaloa district. The seriously injured victim was first rushed to Vaazhaichcheanai hospital and then transferred to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital around 2:00 a.m, Vaazhaichcheanai police said.

On October 28, Tuesday early morning the a Tamil Tiger unit in Batticaloa district attacked a key paramilitary camp of the paramilitary group TMVP, killing four operatives and capturing six gunmen from the camp, located at Chengka'ladi, 13 km northwest of Batticaloa city, according to the Batticaloa Command of the LTTE. Despite the LTTE claim of their attack on the TMVP within a few hours of the raid, the Pillayan faction of the TMVP blamed Karuna operatives for the attack. The Sri Lankan Police said that the Tigers were behind the raid that killed four operatives, Pushpan, Rajan, Mani Master and Ravi.

The Tiger commandos who were in control of the paramilitary camp have seized eight assault rifles and ammunitions before destroying the installation.

The attack was launched at 12:15 a.m. on Tuesday. Five T-56 type-2 assault rifles and three T-56 type-1 assault rifles were seized in the raid, the Tigers told media.

Police identified five of the missing TMVP personnel as Sriyan, Kannan, Navaneethan, Kamalanathan and Maran.