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Another Army informant killed
By Chris Kamalendran
Another operative of the Army's Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), who helped in operations of Long Range Reconnaisance Patrols (LRRPs) in the east, was shot dead by a suspected Tiger guerrilla hit squad in Kohuwala last night, Police said.

Ashok alias Lingasamy Devarasa, a former LTTE member turned Army informant, who later became an operative involved in deep penetration attacks on guerrilla targets in the Batticaloa district, was on his way to a boutique near Pepiliyana Road when the incident occurred. He was with his wife and young son.

Police said the gunmen shot him at point blank range and escaped in a three-wheeler. He was dead on admission to the Kalubowila hospital. A by-stander also sustained injuries.

An Army source told The Sunday Times last night Ashok made a tremendous contribution to DMI's deep penetration operations by LRRPs in the east. His contributions were recognized and he was recruited as a soldier in the Sri Lanka National Guard. He was serving there in a regular capacity when the incident occurred.

Police found six gun shots, which they say, were hallmarks of Tiger guerrilla assassination squads. Ashok's murder comes barely a month after guerrillas gunned down Kadirgamanathan Ragupathi alias Ragu, another DMI informant, who helped in LRRP operations. He was shot dead near Peiris Mawatha at Mount Lavinia.

Last night's killing brings to five the number of DMI informants and operatives in the east killed by Tiger guerrilla hit squads since the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement on February 22, last year. This is in addition to over 15 other Army informants who have been murdered in the same period.

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