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Senior Military Intelligence officer shot dead in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 May 2005, 08:14 GMT]
A high ranking Sri Lankan Military Intelligence Corps (MIC) Commanding Officer, Major Thuwan Nizam Muthaliff, 39, was shot and killed Tuesday morning around 8.00 AM by unidentified gunmen at Polhengoda Junction in Narehenpitya, Colombo. The gunmen following him in a motorbike shot him at point-blank range while his car stopped at the Wijaya Kumarathunga signal crossing along the Baseline Highway. Muthaliff is the highest ranking Sri Lankan Military Intelligence officer to be killed since the signing of Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in February 2002.

Major T. N. Muthaliff Photo by SL Army

The incident took place while Major Muthaliff was on his way to attend a special meeting at Kotelawala Defence Academy, military sources said.

Major Muthaliff who was provided special body guards for his security, was traveling without the security personnel while the incident took place, sources in Colombo said.

Muthaliff was rushed to Apollo Hospital, but he succumbed to gunshot injuries at the hospital, Hospital sources said.

Muthaliff, following a successful career in Vavuniya District some years back, was promoted to the commanding officer post in the Sri Lankan Military Intelligence, military sources said.

Muthaliff is a father of two children.