Seven LTTE suspects held with claymore mines

by Sarath Malalasekera

Mannar Police yesterday morning arrested seven LTTE suspects including a woman and an LTTE explosive expert with 18 claymore mines and several other remote control circuits while being transported from Keeri to Koondupitiya in the Mannar district.

Mannar SP L. B. A. Tennakoon directing investigations said he had deployed a special police team to arrest several other LTTE suspects allegedly involved in transporting claymore mines.

Troops who waylaid at Pullimunal, Koondupitiya area early yesterday, arrested three LTTE suspects with claymore mines and several detonating aides to be dispatched by the LTTE from the general uncleared area of Vidathalthivu and being unloaded from a boat to a three-wheeler parked on the ground.

Later, troops arrested four more LTTE suspects with four claymore mines and detonating wires at a house at Thaalpaadu road after a raid.

According to investigations the LTTE had opened fire at the Security Force personnel but they later surrendered along with the three-wheeler and claymore mines (each weighing eight kg.), two non-electrical detonators, 33 foot dead code, three remote control circuits, two nine volt batteries and three mobile phones. Investigations revealed that the captured explosive stocks were to be used by the LTTE for clandestine attacks in the area.

Mannar police also took into custody a boat which claymore mines had been transported along with several detonators, SP Tennakoon said.

The suspects will be detained until the completion of investigations.

They will be later produced before the Mannar Magistrate, SP Tennakoon added. The arrested LTTE suspects are Kariyamuthu Selvam alias Nathiran (LTTE No.03285), Thangaiya Sahayanandan, Athpudasingham Sugandan, Thurusamy Kamalawathie, Thurusamy Sidaran, Karupaiya Maniyam Prakash and Chitrawel Gunaseelan.

SP Tennakoon said the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission will be informed about the arrest of LTTE suspects with the claymore mines.