SLA military intelligence operative, Karuna cadre killed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 2004, 10:31 GMT]
A Sri Lanka military intelligence operative and a person suspected to be a member of the paramilitary, 'Karuna Group' were shot dead by a gunman in Kaduruwela, a satellite town of Polannaruwa, 85 kilometres northwest of Batticaloa, around 1.30 p.m. Thursday, Police said. The men were riding a motorbike in the predominantly Sinhala town when they were shot by a person with a handgun. The Sri Lanka military intelligence operative, Lance Corporal Ajith Dassanayaka was killed on the spot and the Karuna Group cadre died on admission to the Polannaruwa hospital, according to Police.

The Karuna Group cadre was identified as Vasanthnayagam Prabhaharan. Lance Corporal Dassanayaka was from the Sri Lanka army's Directorate of Military Intelligence unit at Minneriya, 25 kilometres west of Polannaruwa.

Liberation Tigers say that some elements of the paramilitary Karuna Group operate in a few remote parts of the Polannaruwa- Batticaloa district border with the aid of the Sri Lanka military intelligence.