LTTE Senior Commander Ramanan assassinated

A Senior Commander of the Liberation Tigers in the East, Commander Ramanan, the Deputy Head of the LTTE Military wing of the Batticaloa district, was assassinated by a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sniper at Vavunathivu Forward Defence Line (FDL), 5 km southwest of Batticaloa, Sunday around 5:30 p.m., sources in Batticaloa said.

A Sri Lanka Army sniper targetted the Commander while he was inspecting the FDL positions of the Tigers in Vavunathivu, Batticaloa Eelanatham reported Sunday night.

The battle-hardened Commander Ramanan, has served as the Military Intelligence Chief of the LTTE in Batticaloa Amparai districts, and later as the Head of the Military Wing of Maavadymunmari division.

Commander Ramanan's decision to leave the renegade LTTE commander Karuna was a major setback for the renegade's plans to hold his ground in the east.

Ramanan is the most high ranking LTTE officials to be assassinated during the Ceasefire.

Vavunathivu FDL positions of the Tigers have recently come under increasing attack by the SLA troopers.

(http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=18221)