Claymore attack in Colombo, a covert act by Sri Lankan MI - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 June 2006, 08:02 GMT]
"The Claymore attack in Colombo targeting a civilian bus Tuesday morning, is part of a Sri Lankan Military Intelligence (MI) designed covert programme to discredit the Tigers," LTTE's Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan, charged Wednesday, when asked to comment on Sri Lankan reaction to the Claymore attack that targeted a civilian bus near Welisara Sri Lanka Navy camp Tuesday. The "covert programme" by the Sri Lankan MI also seeks to antogonize the Sinhala population against the Tamil people, Mr. Thamilchelvan further said from Norway's capital Oslo.



"The timing of the attack is a clear indication of the agenda," Mr. Thamilchelvan said from Oslo Wednesday.

The "failed state of Sri Lanka" is seeking to "tarnish the image of the LTTE," beyond formal proscriptions, he further said.

He also referred to the timing of the attack on Sinhala workers in Omadiyamadu near Welikanda. The killings were carried out following the EU statement on proscribing the LTTE was published.

Intelligence Operatives of the Sri Lanka Army Military Intellgence and paramilitary cadres were being deployed to carry out the attacks on civilian targets, according to a military strategy designed by the top brass of the military leadership, Thamilchelvan added.

Sri Lankan Defence Ministry Advisor, H.M.G.B Kotakadeniya, a hardliner and a politician from the extremist Buddhist Monks party, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), told media in Colombo Wednesday that the Tigers were "escalating terrorism," beyond the North and the East.

Mr. Kotakadniya has said that the Tigers were "desparate" and carried out the attack after leaving to Oslo, but "failed" in their Claymore attack.

Sri Lankan Police officials said that they were investigating around 60 persons and six of them were being investigated under police custody.

The retired police DIG Kotakedeniya, was allegedly behind deploying a contingent of the Sri Lankan Counter-Insurgency arm, the Special Task Force (STF), in Trincomalee where an execution style killing of five Tamil students, all under 20 years of age, was allegedly carried out by the team of STF commandos who were ordered to "be tough".