Woman LTTEer may have aimed at high profile target - Keheliya

Rashomi Silva

TISSAMAHARAMAYA: Investigations into the background of the female Black Tiger cadre arrested in Tissamaharama has revealed the woman to be a highly trained senior LTTE member, the Media Centre for National Security announced yesterday.

The suspicious movements of the female Black Tiger who is believed to have been after a high profile target had attracted the attention of a group of villagers who alerted the Police, according to the Government Defence spokesman and the Plan Implementation Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.

"With the cooperation of civilians the Police were able to track down the woman and arrest four of her associates," he said.

The woman had concealed two cyanide capsules within her hairdo and was found to be familiar with different aspects of the human bomb, the Minister said.

Questioned if President Mahinda Rajapaksa could have been the likely target the Minister said it was too early to draw such a conclusion, but he did not rule out the possibility.

"Investigations are still continuing and we cannot comment on that, but the possibility cannot be discounted," he said.

He said President Rajapaksa being a grassroots politician often makes unscheduled visits to his former electorate.

Commenting on LTTE spokesman Daya Master's recent visit to Colombo for medical treatment Minister Rambukwella said it was permitted completely on humanitarian grounds.

"We had a request from the LTTE and from the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, (SLMM) but what prompted us most was the personal appeal made by his family," the Minister said.

"There have been instances during peace negotiations where a simple humanitarian gesture had helped in achieving a major breakthrough," he noted adding that the Government was too optimistic that the LTTE would reciprocate and be more flexible in their stance.

Asked about the LTTE's demand to free four LTTEer in exchange for NCPA officer Bandujeewa Bopitigoda, Rambukwella said the Government was not prepared to consider the demand.