Seven injured in suicide blast

LTTE cadre blows himself up during search op:

Ranil WIJAYAPALA

MODERA: Three policemen and four civilians were injured yesterday as a Police attempt to arrest a suspected LTTE cadre in Modera ended with the LTTE suicide cadre blowing himself inside his room, Police and Military told the Daily News.

The LTTE cadre who blew himself up has been identified as Nadarajah Sherma Vijayatharan alias Vijayan, 28, from Punkuduthivu, Jaffna.

A spokesman for Modera Police told the Daily News that the Police team went to Vijayatharan’s lodge on a tip-off given by another suspect arrested in Modera on Thursday.

The lodge at Aluth Mawatha, Ibbanwala Watta, Modera was cordoned off by Police around 6 a.m. yesterday and the suspect had blown himself inside the room as he felt there was no escape.

The injured were admitted to Colombo National Hospital. A Policewoman was in a serious condition when admitted to hospital.

Body parts of the Tiger cadre was strewn inside the room after the blast that damaged adjoining buildings.

“He had exploded a claymore mine inside the room. This is evident from the number of iron balls which hit the walls,” the spokesman added.

Investigations are on to ascertain whether the LTTE suspect had used a suicide jacket.

According to investigations, Vijayatharan had been living in Modera for several years along with his sister and brother-in-law. His brother-in-law had rented this house three years ago.

His sister and brother-in-law had gone to Vavuniya three days ago and were not at home at the time of this incident, Police said. Police in a subsequent search inside the house recovered two micro pistols, one 9mm pistol and another fitted with silencer along with 138 ammunition used for these pistols and two cyanide capsules.

“The suicide and the recovery of cyanide capsules confirm that he was a hardcore Tiger cadre engaged in a dangerous mission in Colombo,” he added.