Tiger leader from east surrenders

A high ranking LTTE cadre who had led the Tiger team that killed 14 civilians in a village in Karamitiya, Inginiyagala named Gunaratnam Wimalaraj had surrendered to the Vavunativu police through an ICRC official.

The LTTE attacked the Karamitiya village on February 21. Police also said that the killing of Dr. Palitha Padmakumara of the Batticaloa Nachchikudah hospital had also been directed by him.

Apart from that he had directed many terrorist activities in Batticaloa and Ampara, police said.

Police said that during interrogations he had revealed that he had fought against the army in the recent battles in the North. He had been appointed as an LTTE military leader in the Eastern province six months ago by Sea Tiger leader Soosai.

On surrendering to the police he had said that he decided to surrender through the ICRC because the LTTE had been destroyed with the deaths of its entire top level leadership.

He had come to the eastern province with 20 LTTE cadres in boats from Mullaitivu to Pulmoddai.

From there they had reached Thoppigala through jungle paths. Once when travelling to Thoppigala through the Welikanda jungle he had been wounded in an STF attack. (S De S and SPJ )