PLOTE cadre killed in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 February 1999, 11:54 GMT]
A PLOTE cadre, Subramaniam Thanabalasingham,32, was shot last night by unidentified gunmen, suspected to be members of the Liberation Tigers, while he was returning home last night around 8.30 p.m. at Thirupperunthurai, a high security zone on the northern outskirts of the Batticaloa town.

Thirupperunthurai is situated by the SLAF base in Batticaloa. Many cadres of Tamil paramilitary working with the SLA live here as it is considered a highly secured area, covered on one side by the SLAF base and on the other by the Pillaiyaaradi SLA camp.

Sri Lankan Police sources in Batticaloa town expressed serious concern that the Liberation Tigers were able to infiltrate the area, kill a trained paramilitary cadre and get away.



Thanabalasingham's assailants had fired only once, according residents.

SLAF guards at a nearby sentry had begun firing at random upon hearing the report of the gun they said.

The SLAF had come to the spot later and rushed Thanabalasingham to the Batticaloa hospital where he succumbed to his gunshot wound.