Prabhakaran’s rifle found

Rafik Jalaldeen and Bandula Senaratne - Vavuniya North Group Cor

The Vavuniya Police Crime Unit has unearthed a large haul of arms and explosives including LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran’s personal rifle together with body armour in Vellaimullivaikkal on Monday.

Senior DIG (North) Nimal Lewke said on information gathered from one of the personal bodyguards of the slain LTTE leader, a special team from the Vavuniya police recovered over 2,000kgs of high explosives and Prabhakaran’s personal rifle.

“They uncovered an M-16A2 with a grenade launcher along with a body armour that was believed to be used by the LTTE leader. The body armour was specially tailored for the LTTE leader”, SDIG Lewke told the Daily News.

The arms and explosives were carefully concealed and buried in the Vellaimullivaikkal jungle.

Police recovered two boat engines, a 40hp engine, 18 Arul bombs, 2,000kg RDX explosives, 88 suicide kits, two claymore mines, 17 of 60mm mortar bombs, two weapon chargers, 20 pouches, 122 full switches, ten of 60mm artillery shell chargers, 50 detonators, 2,500 of 7.62 ammunition, 250g gun powder, a torpedo, 25 AP mines, 25 artillery boosters, 46 artillery fuses, a disposable RPG weapon, 15 hand grenades, 16 of 14.5 weapon barrels, two automatic shot guns, 50 claymore stands, a large quantity of dead code wire, 20 remote control switches and eight suicide kit switches.