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LTTE hands over bodies of 12 soldiers

Govt. appeals for release of soldier in captivity

Government yesterday appealed to the Scandinavian monitors to secure the release of a soldier held captive by the LTTE after Friday’s clash in which 12 soldiers were killed in the Vakaneri area in Batticaloa.

Bodies of 12 soldiers being handed over to the army through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) yesterday.

SLMM spokesman Thorfinnur Omarsson said the appeal had been conveyed to the LTTE to secure the release of Lance Corporal Wijeyapala Karunaratna, but no response was received till yesterday afternoon.

The appeal came after the LTTE yesterday handed over 12 bodies of soldiers at Chenkaladi in Batticaloa to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The bodies were then transported to the Valaichchenai hospital where post-mortems were conducted before they were handed over to the army.

The ICRC after taking possession of the soldier’s bodies had asked the LTTE cadres at Illupadicheni to give access to the injured soldier, allowing Dr. Gianluca Russo of the Italian Red Cross who was part of the ICRC team to check the medical condition of the wounded soldier. LTTE representatives responded that they would need approval from their leaders to allow access for the ICRC doctor.

LTTE Batticoloa district political wing leader Daya Mohan, however, said the ICRC might be allowed such access soon. The Military says the soldiers were killed during search and route clearing patrol in the government-controlled Vakaneri area, but the LTTE claimed they had entered five kilometres into an LTTE-controlled area.

Meanwhile SLMM chief Ulf Henricsson yesterday met LTTE political wing leader S.P.Thamilselvan in Kilinochchi and took up the issue about the soldier’s release.

The LTTE lodged a strong protest with the SLMM, complaining about alleged infiltration by the army into the rebel-held areas.

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