ICRC takes bodies of LTTE cadres from Trinco to Sampoor

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 July 2005, 17:07 GMT]
The International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) Monday evening took charge of bodies of Lt.Colonel Dikkan alias Vengai (Sebastiampillai Jeyachandran, Ward No 06, Periyakulam, Sambaltivu), Second Lieutenant Ilampuli (Thangarajah Wijendrarasa, Koonitheivu, Muttur) and Anushan Kulasingham, National Auxiliary Force member at the Trincomalee esplanade to be handed over at Sampoor in the LTTE held Muttur east for burial, sources said. They were killed Sunday morning by an unidentified group at Chelvanayakapuram farm complex.

Coffin in ICRC vehicle.

Earlier, hundreds of Tamil people including Trincomalee district parliamentarians Mr.R.Sampanthan and Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham and LTTE Trincomalee district political head Mr.S.Elilan paid their last respects, sources said.

The convoy of three ICRC vehicles with the coffins of the two LTTE cadres and the Auxilliary Force member left Trincomalee town Monday around 6.30 by road via Kantalai and Seruvila to Sampoor in the LTTE held Muttur east.

The convoy was accompanied by Mr.Rud Graf, new Trincomalee head delegate of the ICRC who is scheduled to assume duties on July 13, sources said.

Bodies being brought from Nilaveli in procession.

Mr.Arthur Tveiten, Trincomalee head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Mr.Patrick Walder, outgoing Trincomalee head delegate of the ICRC and Mr.Rud Graf, Mr.Sampanthan, Mr.Thurairatnasingham and Mr.Elilan were at the site when the bodies of the LTTE cadres were transferred to ICRC vehicles from the decorated vehicle which brought them from Nilaveli located about 11 km off north of the east port town through Third Mile Post, Pallathoddam, Thirukadaloor, Ehambaram Road, Sea View Road, Main Street to Trincomalee esplanade in procession, sources said.

Heavy security was enforced along the route of the procession and the riot squad of the police was placed on alert, sources said.

Bodies of LTTE cadres brought in a vehicle to Trincomalee esplanade for paying last respects.

The burial is scheduled to take place in Alankulam LTTE cemetery in Muttur east Tuesday.

The burial of Mr.Muttiah Koneswaran alias Babu, a supporter of the LTTE and the fourth person killed in the attack took place in his native village Anpuvallipuram Monday, sources said.