2nd lead:

STF kills assassin of LTTE activist

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 October 2004, 07:47 GMT]
A political activist of the Liberation Tigers was shot dead by a gunman suspected to be a member of a paramilitary group in Akkaraipattu, 64 kilometres south of Batticaloa, Saturday around 11.45 a.m., Police said. The gunman was later shot dead by a Special Task Force (STF) patrol that pursued and cornered him in a house. ''We opened fire when the gunman attempted lob a grenade at our commandos in bid to escape the round up'', said an STF officer in Akkaraipattu.

The driver of the passenger van in which the LTTE activist was about to board was injured when the gunman opened fire, Police said.

The LTTE political activist was identified as 'Jude'.

He had lost an arm during the war, LTTE sources said.

''We pursued the gunman when he saw him fleeing the scene of murder. We had to open fire when he attempted to evade arrest by attacking us'', the STF officer said.

STF is the elite counter insurgency arm of Sri Lanka Police.