3RD LEAD

Brigadier Balraj passes away - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 May 2008, 15:32 GMT]
Brigadier Balraj, a senior and a special commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE), passed away Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. of a sudden heart attack in Vanni, LTTE's Head Quarters said. Brigadier Balraj was the first commander of the LTTE's conventional fighting formation, Charles Antony Brigade, established in 1991 and he served as a key commander in LTTE's major operations, including the LTTE operation on the SLA garrison in Elephant Pass in year 2000. The LTTE leadership has announced national mourning for three days on 21, 22 and 23rd of May.

Brigadier Balraj (Balasegaram Kandiah, born on 27 November, 1965), who hails from Kokkuththoduvaay in Mullaiththeevu district, has commanded the Charles Antony Brigade between 1991-1993 and between 1995-1997. He was an expert on different forms of warfare, including psychological operations, and deployed different tactics during the planning and the conduct of the operations.

During the LTTE offensive on Elephant Pass, in March 2000, Commander Balraj, gave the lie to the assumption that no rear depth of defence of a state's conventional army can be seriously threatened by anyone except an armed force with strategic air power, when the Sea Tigers fought their way through a sea barrier formed by a large Sri Lanka Navy flotilla in rough seas to land 1200 troops and their supplies at Kudarappu-Maamunai, in the SLA's rear.

Commander Balraj had a heart surgery in Singapore in 2003 during the Cease Fire Agreement. He has been hospitalised 3 months ago for two-weeks, according to informed sources in Vanni.

Commander Balraj had engaged himself in Mannaar and Ma'nalaa'ru war fronts, in between his medical treatments, the sources further said.

On Wednesday, mourners gathered to pay last respects at the coffin of Commander Balraj, placed at the residence of his sister.



Chronology:


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