Col. Swarnam dead?

by DefenceWire

(November 19, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Troops attached to the newly formed Task Force 3 that suddenly assaulted Mankulam in three different directions recently claim they have either seriously injured or even killed LTTE's senior 'Commander' 'Col' Swarnam.

A Green coloured Canter truck was observed inside a small LTTE base at Mankulam when troops surrounded the area. A tall man who soldiers have claimed was Swarnam was seen mounting the truck when soldiers opened fire on the truck from two directions severely injuring the man.

Persons who appeared to be the leader's bodyguards were observed running to the leader's aid abandoning several Indian-made motorcycles used as part of the security detail along with the Canter truck. The truck and the motorcycles were subsequently captured by the Army while the injured LTTE leader was whisked away by the remaining members of his team of bodyguards.

Swarnam, a native of Trincomalee, was the one time Special Commander for the east. He was injured during the SLA counter attack at Kattaparichchaan and later appointed to Adampan and then to the Nayaru LTTE command only to be ceded by Jeyam in his last posting.

Due to continuous failures on their part, many LTTE senior 'Commanders' have been stripped of their command and posted to the front by the LTTE leader who still remains in hiding. - Sri Lanka Guardian