SLA deserter handed back

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 October 2002, 15:11 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army trooper who surrendered Thursday to the Liberation Tigers asking to be sent home was handed over to international ceasefire monitors Friday, officials said.

Jeyathkuman Kumara (26) from the Mayiliddi Sri Lanka Army camp, surrendered Thursday evening to the LTTE in the Jaffna district, asking to be sent to his home in Habarana, sources said.

The soldier was handed over Friday evening to officials of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) by the head of the LTTE’s political wing in Jaffna, Mr. Ilamparithy. Sri Lankan military officials from Palaly later took him into custody, the sources said.

A father of two, Kumara had served in the army for 7 years - but for 4 years he was absent without leave, later rejoining the service.