LTTE releases four POWs

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 April 2001, 17:45 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers on Saturday released four prisoners of war who had been held by them for many years. They were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross in the northern Vanni main land ICRC spokesman Harasha Gunawardene told TamilNet. LTTE sources said the POWs were released to show organisastion's support for the Norwegian facilitated peace talks and as a demonstration of its commitment to future peace talks.

The three sailors and a soldier released were named as:

A.W.Mustafa (40) from Colombo who was captured from the MV Missen on 1 July 1997; W.A.Anton Fernando (41) from Maha Wewa who was captured from the MV Iris Moana in Mullaithivu on 29 August 1995; K.P.Richard (39) from Trincomalee who was also captured from the MV Iris Moana on 29 August 1995; and R.M.Upali Somapala (31) from Anuradhapura who was captured on 24 July 1997 in Weli Oya.

The men were released on the special instructions of the LTTE leader, Velupillai Piraphakaran, on humanitarian grounds, the sources said.