Paramilitary operation to abduct woman

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 February 1999, 11:21 GMT]
Paramilitary sources in Batticaloa said that the Razeek group carried out an operation into LTTE controlled areas on Monday night in order to abduct a woman who was then married, at a Sri Lankan Army camp, to one of the group's leaders.

Paramilitaries issued with special weapons by the SLA for deep penetration operations into the LTTE controlled hinterland, moved from the Vavunathivu SLA camp, six kilometres southeast of Batticaloa town, towards the village of Eechanthivu, three kilometers from Vavunathivu.

The special group, comprising cadres who had been trained at the SLA's Infantry Training School in Minneriya, 125 miles northwest of Batticaloa, had moved around Hospital street in the village of Eechanthivu and had taken up secure vantage positions before the core group could move towards its target.

Around midnight Razeek's special commandos had stormed the house of Rasarathinam Manjula; and, after intimidating the her parents, abducted her and took her back to the SLA camp at Vavunathivu

Yesterday morning Manjula was married to the Razeek group leader Manivannan.

According to paramilitary sources in Batticaloa Mannivanan, who surrendered to the SLA three months ago, claims to have had some previous connection to the Liberation Tigers.

Since then he has been of great value to the army and the Razeek group in providing precise information about LTTE sympathisers.

Manivannan had apparently developed an interest in Manjula before surrendering to the SLA.

The paramilitary sources say that there is some doubt regarding Mannivanan's claims of previous connection with the LTTE.