( April 11, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Two persons described by the authorities as activists of the now defunct Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were killed in a firefight with the security forces at a location in Nedunkerni Vavuniya shortly after dusk yesterday, the military and police said.
They identified the pair as Kajeepan Ponniah Selvanayagam alias Gopi and Sundaralingam Kajeepan alias Thevian.
A third person also believed to be a LTTE sypathyser was also gunned down in the shooting, they added.
According to senior police and military officials the shooting took place when the suspectts had attempted to break away from an army cordon that was closing in on their safe house.
The officials however denied that a soldier had also been killed in the clash. They said the soldier died in friendly fire during a military exercise on the same evening.
Top LTTE suspects and have been confirmed as being among those killed in the clash between armed forces and suspected LTTE operatives last night in Nedunkerny area of Vavuniya.
According to the officials both Gopi and his accomplice were involved in subversive activities aimed at destabilizing the civilian administration in the north and east and also fueling ethnic hartred among the major communities.
