Prabhakaran: Trapped

Colombo, April 5 (PTI): Sri Lankan forces said today they had captured the last Tamil Tiger stronghold and driven the rebels, including LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, into a narrow “no-fire zone” crowded with tens of thousands of civilians trying to flee the fighting.

Government troops had captured the entire Puthukkudiyiruppu area, the last rebel stronghold on the edge of the safety zone in the island’s war-ravaged north, military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said today.

At least 420 Tamil Tigers were killed in heavy fighting in the north in the last three days, he added.

Prabhakaran, second-in-command Pottu Amman and other senior commanders of the guerrillas are believed to be holed up in the 20sqkm safety zone, the military said today.

“Prabhakaran is in the 20sqkm no-fire zone after army captured the remaining 1sqkm LTTE area in Puthukkudiyiruppu. He will be caught dead or alive. It will be easier to detect him amongst the people because of his heavy size,” a top defence ministry official said.

Sri Lankan troops have recovered the birth certificate, horoscope and albums of Prabhakaran from Puthukkudiyiruppu.

“The troops of the 53 division unearthed the vital documents including the birth certificate, horoscopes and albums of LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran and his family yesterday,” the state-run Sunday Observer reported today quoting sources.

“Prabhakaran had buried the lot before he fled from his residence in Puthukkudiyiruppu,” the report said.

Military sources said a number of senior LTTE leaders, including Gadaphi, a former bodyguard of Prabhakaran, Vidusha, the head of the “Malathi” female wing, Durga ,the head of the “Soothiya” female wing were killed in fighting since last night.

Sources said Prabhakaran’s son Charles Antony, who was injured in fighting recently, was also possibly in the no-fire zone.

“The remaining LTTE cadres... are now facing a total annihilation as the soldiers are engaged in a man-to-man combat against them,” a military statement said.

Asked whether the army had suffered losses, a defence ministry official said: “There have been some casualties. But minimum casualties.”

The LTTE has taken hostage all civilians in the no-fire zone, reports said. The UN says an estimated 150,000 to 190,000 people are trapped, resulting in dozens of deaths each day.

But the government says more than 23,000 civilians escaped last month and 30,000 to 40,000 still remain.

The LTTE today appealed to India to treat them as their “ally”.

“We are not enemies of India or Indian interests. India should look at us as an ally. We are disappointed with India’s attitude towards us,” the Tamil Tigers’ political head B. Nadesan told an Indian TV channel.

He said Prabhakaran was in “excellent health and leading our freedom struggle”.