PLOTE cadre dies in hospital

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A member of an ex-militant group who escaped from the detention of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) died at the Batticaloa hospital yesterday, said sources in the East.

He had many wounds on his person which, hospital sources said, could have been sustained during his bid to escape.

The youth, identified as Mahaththaya who was a member of the Peoples Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) was captures two months ago by the LTTE.

He was working with the Sri Lankan military intelligence in Batticaloa said sources close to the group in the east.

He had, according to them, taken part regularly in the Sri Lankan army's small scale Special Forces operations into LTTE held the region in the western hinterland.

PLOTE members said that he had escaped from the LTTE's Pankudaveli camp north of Batticaloa.

He had trekked hiding in the undergrowth along the Chenkaladi Road, which is 25 km north of Batticaloa.

Meanwhile a member of the Peoples Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), Sinnathurai Jaganathan (21) was wounded in his right arm when his gun went off accidently.

The incident occurred at a PLOTE camp at Navalady 2 km south of Batticaloa.