LTTE Chief Dead, Lanka Releases Picture
Rediff
Colombo, May 19: With a pro-LTTE website raising questions over his death, the Sri Lankan army today said Velupillai Prabhakaran's body has been found.
"Prabhakaran's body was found near Nandikadal lagoon (in the No Fire Zone)," military spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara told PTI.
He said Prabhakaran was in uniform and there were bullet wounds on his head.
Military officials, giving details of the encounter in which the LTTE chief was killed yesterday, said that Prabhakaran and his two top commanders, Pottu Amman and sea Tiger chief Soosai, drove out of their hideout in an armoured vehicle escorted by his armed cadres in an ambulance.
They tried to drive through the security cordon of army, triggering a 2-hour battle which ended when troops targeted the vehicle with a rocket and later took out the bodies.
Prabhakaran's body, the officials said yesterday, bore burn marks apparently due to the direct impact of the rocket on the vehicle which was carrying the LTTE chief.
However, the pro-rebel Tamilnet website claimed that Prabhakaran was still "alive and safe".
"I wish to inform the global Tamil community distressed witnessing the final events of the war that our beloved leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is alive and safe," LTTE's International Relations head S Pathmanathan was quoted as saying by the website.
Prabhakaran Alive, Claims Pro-LTTE Website
PTI
Colombo, May 19: A pro-LTTE website, Tamilnet.com, on Tuesday claimed that the Tamil Tigers supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran is still "alive and safe", a day after Sri Lankan army announced that it has killed the top rebel leader.
"I wish to inform the global Tamil community distressed witnessing the final events of the war that our beloved leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is alive and safe," LTTE's international relations head S Pathmanathan was quoted as saying by the website, which usually puts out the rebels' version on the battle with the Sri Lankan armed forces.
"He (Prabhakaran) will continue to lead the quest for dignity and freedom for the Tamil people," he said.
The website, however, did not give the details of Prabhakaran's location.
The army had claimed Prabhakaran and his top aides came out of their last hiding place in a small convoy of van and an ambulance and tried to drive out of the war zone, but were gunned down.
Pathmanathan said the Sri Lankan army and government deliberately came up with the story detailing the demise of the leader of the LTTE.
"We categorically reject this and wish to inform the Tamil community to be vigilant and to exercise maximum restraint whilst grieving for the loss of Tamil civilian lives in the barbaric conduct of the final chapters of this battle," he said.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa while addressing the nation told the Parliament that Sri Lanka has been liberated from terrorism. But, he never mentioned the rebel leader in his speech.
Rajapaksa said that for the first time in 30 years the entire country is unified, following the government's defeat of the Tamil Tiger rebels.