LTTE Prabha faction's reluctance to receive dead bodies causes dissension

LTTE PRABHAKARAN faction's unwillingness to accept hitherto two dead bodies of their cadres, who were killed on Monday (21) during rivalry clashes with LTTE KARUNA's cadres in SENAPURA, WELIKANDA areas, despite authentication of their LTTE identity, serves a classic example of how embarrassed were LTTE PRABHAKARAN's men to receive mortal remains of their own cadres.

LTTE WANNI faction cadres, barely a few hours after the Army Website on Sunday (20) exclusively reported that they (LTTE PRABHAKARAN cadres) were orchestrating a plan to assassinate an LTTE rival leader of the KARUNA faction, called MANGALAN, struck their target early morning on Monday (21), causing death to two LTTE PRABHAKARAN faction cadres and injuries to MANGALAN and three others in the general area of SENAPURA, WELIKANDA. (See: Situation Report 21st March 2005)

Police teams conducting further investigations in the area after recovery of two dog tags, termed as “Saiver,” generally worn by LTTE PRABHAKARAN faction men for their identification purposes when sent on secret missions outside north, further confirmed that one of the dead has been identified as LTTE's RANJAN from Palamitanei, Kadiraveli.

Officials of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and International Committee of the Red Cross had reportedly met with a rebuff when LTTE was formally advised to take away those two dead bodies at Polonnaruwa Hospital mortuary.

LTTE hierarchy in Batticaloa, apparently in their reluctance to admit strength of the LTTE Karuna faction forces in those areas, had disclaimed any responsibility to take over those remains, saying that they were not their cadres, irrespective of their well-proven identities, as confirmed by Saiver dog tags found from the location in the aftermath of their murders.

Their continuing obduracy to deny acceptance of dead bodies of their own cadres have however reportedly caused a series of irate dissension among LTTE men, some of who had gone on record even openly criticizing and condemning LTTE northern leadership for its callous disregard shown to their own cadres.

However, if the LTTE PRABHA faction men continue to refuse acceptance of those mortal remains, the Police consequent to a Magisterial inquiry in accordance with provisions of the Civil Law, will dispose of them after necessary actions are adopted.