Two LTTE activists shot dead in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 May 2004, 13:48 GMT]
Mr.Sivanathan Murali alias Pahalavan and Mr.Vathanan, two unarmed political activists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), were shot dead Thursday afternoon around 2 p.m. at Thannamunai, located 9 kilometers northwest of Batticaloa town in the Sri Lanka Army-controlled area. At the time of the incident the Sri Lanka Army was patrolling the area, sources said.

The bodies of the dead were kept in the mortuary of the Batticaloa teaching hospital, police said.

Residents said both had been shot while riding in a motor bicycle bearing No:GT 470 along Valaichchenai-Batticaloa main road and they died on the spot.

LTTE sources said both activists had been shot dead by Tamil paramilitary groups closely associating with the Sri Lanka Army in Batticaloa. LTTE sources further said this crime could not have been committed without the knowledge of the SLA.

Monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission based in Batticaloa rushed to the site on a compliant by the LTTE and held on the spot observation, sources said.

Seven Tigers were shot dead on April 24 at Ayithiamalai in Batticaloa district and another LTTE cadre was shot dead at Pendukalchenai while riding a motorbike on May 2nd, sources recalled.

Political observers say the killings pose a grave threat to the peace process.