2nd January 2000

By Alia

Identities established

Senior intelligence officials believe they have established the identities of the two Tiger guerrilla suicide cadres responsible for attacks on the PA and UNP Presidential election rallies on December 18.

But CID investigators are still skeptical. They have heard other reports too.

The female suicide cadre who exploded herself at the PA rally, where President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga had a miraculous escape, has been described as 26 year old Niro, a Black Sea Tiger cadre from Karupattimurippu near Mullaitivu.

She had belonged to the 29th batch of LTTE trainees and is known to have been an expert in firing Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs).

On one occasion, her LTTE handlers had seen her take on a target dead on from a distance of 300 metres.

The suicide bomber at the UNP rally at Ja-ela that killed Major General Lakshman Algama is described as Sukkath, said to be 25 years old and a native of Trincomalee.

He had belonged to the 18th batch of Black Tiger cadres trained in Iranamadu jungles in the Wanni.

Intelligence sources say Sukkath, who was fluent in Sinhala had possessed a license to drive heavy vehicles and had been in Colombo from 1997. He had been recruited to LTTE by Niroshan, an LTTE intelligence cadre, whilst he was residing at Orrs Hill Road in Trincomalee.

Scurrilous leaflet

A scurrilous leaflet that did the rounds during the days of the Presidential election campaign has become the subject of a top level investigation by CID detectives.

The leaflet not only spoke of a group of Policemen styling themselves as “Police Poddo” (Police young ones) ganging up against the PA Government, but also took swipes at some senior Police officials. Copies had been posted to senior officers, police stations and some officials in the security establishment.

Insiders say the sleuths have identified the quarter from which the mass circulating leaflet originated.

They say among those involved in the campaign was a former spy boss now campaigning publicly for sweeping reforms in the intelligence system.

He had eyed a top foreign intelligence slot if the UNP won the Presidential polls.

SLAF’s success

A Sri Lanka Air Force Mi-24 helicopter gunship sortie that hit a Tiger guerrilla boat killed Sea Tiger leader, Soosai, according to highly placed intelligences sources.

These sources said that soon after confirmation that he had died they received news that the SLAF has had a successful hit.

Rajpal Abeynayake's Column

Editorial/ Opinion Contents