LTTE recovers arms, cadres from Karuna group

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 April 2004, 14:31 GMT]
In commando style attacks on the Karuna group in Vakarai, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have recovered large quantities of arms and a large number of cadres, the ThamilAlai.com website (a shadow edition from the East of the Karuna group's TamilAlai) said.

The details of the arms recovered are as follows:
120 mm artillery – 3
120 mm artillery shells – more than1000
82 mm artillery – 4
82 mm artillery shells – 370
a large number of 5 mm mortars
50 caliber guns - 2
Small arms – 300.


In Vakarai alone, 450 cadres have deserted Karuna group, according to the website. Meanwhile, the ThamilAlai said that in the Amparai district, which has been brought under the control of the LTTE, 200 cadres of the Karuna group, led by Atheeswaran and Vino, have deserted the group and joined the LTTE's forces.

The recovery of Vakarai from the Karuna group has aided large scale desertions from the group, and some cadres of the group are escaping to Colombo with the intention of going abroad, adding that the people of Vakarai have welcomed the expulsion of the Karuna group from the village and are assisting the LTTE's forces.

The attack in Vakarai was commanded by Mr. T. Ramesh, the special commander of the Batticaloa-Amparai district. The integration commander was 'Prabha', and the forward commander was 'Jeyaathaar,' the commander of the Jeyanthan brigade.