புலிகளின் தலைவர் சங்கர் சரணடைந்தார்

Eastern rebel leader surrenders to Sri Lanka police

COLOMBO, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) eastern leader surrendered on Saturday, defense officials here said Sunday.

The rebel cadre named Shankar had given leadership to the terrorist activities centering the eastern port district of Trincomalee.

He surrendered to the police at Kallar area.

With the military's crushing of the senior rebel leadership trapped in the northeastern Mullaithivu district in the final battle defense officials said most of the LTTEs operating in the eastern province wanted to surrender.

The entire eastern province was cleared by the government troops in mid 2007.

Defense officials said that also on Saturday, a doctor who had treated the injured rebels had surrendered to the police at Akkaraipattu in the east.

The government has said that while legal action would be taken against all hardcore rebels the junior level cadres would be rehabilitated to re-integrate into the society.

The LTTE's over three decade old battle for a separate homeland cost over 70,000 lives.