LTTE denies involvement in Batticaloa explosion

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 December 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The LTTE announced today that two of its members, Lt. Col. Kandeepan (Amarasingham Thirunavukkarasu, Akkaraipattu) and 2nd Lt. Maharajah (Kaththamuthu Mahendiran, Batticaloa) were killed in a confrontation in Sinthupuram in Batticaloa on Dec. 15.

Meanwhile the LTTEs Batticaloa district political wing leader, Keethan, issued a statement yesterday in Kokkaddicholai, which is under the control of the Liberation Tigers vehemently denying the claims of the Sri Lankan Police that his organisation was involved in the explosion in the Batticaloa market on.

His statement said that the Sri Lankan security forces were engaging in such acts to take out their frustration over the failure of Op. Jayasikurui and to take revenge on Tamil civilians for the recent set backs the army had suffered in

the Vanni.