STF ambush Tigers in Lahugala

Rasika SOMARATHNA

At least 13 LTTE cadres, including an explosive expert were killed, when Police commandos of the Special Task Force ambushed them yesterday morning at Kongahahela, Lahugala in the Ampara district.

The STF said that the attack on the LTTE infiltrators had taken place close to the 10th Milepost in Lahugala, around 9.30 am. The area belongs to the northern part of the Yala Sanctuary.

This terrorist unit is believed to be behind a spate of killings carried out by the LTTE in Buttala and Moneragala areas in the recent past with the intention of destabilising the civilian life.

The STF yesterday said that they had identified the leader of the unit, who was killed during the attack as Kandaiah Sarawanandam alias Paramanadam master, believed to be an explosives expert and an area leader of the LTTE.

Paramanandam master, hailing from Malwatte, Ampara had joined the LTTE in 1995 and is believed to be the mastermind of several bomb attacks and a spate of civilian killings carried out in the area recently, as an attempt to divert attention of the security forces.

The STF yesterday said that they had found bodies of two female LTTE cadres as well among the 13 dead. They had also recovered a large haul of weapons and explosives during the operation.

The STF said they had been able to track down this terrorist unit following a long vigil in an operation launched in the jungle area several days ago.

The STF is continuing their operations in the area in search of other possible LTTE infiltrators.

February 22 : LTTE claymore attack kills three civilians in Nerukulama, Ampara.

February 22 : LTTE massacres 21 villagers in Kirimetiya, Ampara.

March 24 : Four farmers gunned down in Welikanda, Polonnaruwa