AMBUSH ON LTTE LEADERS IN EASTERN SRI LANKA

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001800

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SA/INS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/13/2005
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PTER CE LTTE
SUBJECT: AMBUSH ON LTTE LEADERS IN EASTERN SRI LANKA


Classified By: Charg d'Affaires James F. Entwistle. Reason:
1.4(B,D)


1. (C) Summary: In Batticaloa district, in eastern Sri
Lanka, on October 10, suspected Karuna faction gunmen,
ambushed a convoy carrying the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE) district military head and intelligence head.
The attack reportedly left four dead and seven wounded. At
the request of the LTTE Peace Secretariat, the government
evacuated a seriously wounded LTTE fighter to Colombo. The
attack is a reminder that, despite the Cease Fire Agreement
(CFA),a shadow war continues in the east that has the
potential to flare into a wider conflict, especially in the
run-up to the November 17 presidential election. End Summary.

Bushwhacked
--------------

2. (SBU) On the night of October 10, a four vehicle convoy,
stopped at an LTTE checkpoint in Vavunathivu, was attacked by
suspected members of the breakaway LTTE Karuna faction. The
resulting firefight lasted almost an hour according to some
press reports. LTTE district military head Bhanu and district
intelligence chief Keerthi were thought to be the targets of
the attack. Local press reported four dead and seven
injured, while the LTTE claimed only three wounded. The Sri
Lankan Army (SLA) told the DAO that Keerthi may be among the
dead or wounded although the Norwegians have told us that
reports of Bhanu's death are erroneous. The attack took
place in LTTE controlled territory but only 750 meters from
an SLA checkpoint.


3. (C) Bhanu is a northern Tamil, and close confidant of
LTTE leader Prabhakaran, selected by Prabhakaran to take over
the eastern front after Karuna broke away in March 2004.
Keerthi is from Batticaloa and is believed to be responsible
for orchestrating the LTTE campaign against SLA intelligence
operatives in the district.

Medevac
--------------


4. (U) At the request of the LTTE Peace Secretariat, the GSL
arranged a helicopter to medevac an LTTE cadre seriously
wounded in the firefight to Colombo for medical treatment.
In 2005 there have been nine requests for medevac assistance,
which are made via the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM)
to the GSL Peace Secretariat and then acted upon by the SLA
or private services.

Comment
--------------

5. (C) Details remain murky although it is logical to assume
that the breakaway Karuna faction is behind the incident (and
they claimed credit late on October 12). Bhanu and Keerthi
are both close to Prabhakaran and it is thus unlikely that
this attack will not elicit some sort of response from LTTE
headquarters - an unwelcome prospect in the always volatile
East in the run-up to the November 17 Presidential election.
ENTWISTLE