Suicide bomber kills
Tamil militant leader

COLOMBO, Sept 2 (UNI) — In yet another revenge attack, the LTTE today killed one more Tamil party leader N. Manickadasan of Plote (People Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam), who was considered close to the government and the army.

An ex-militant, Manickadasan was killed along with his associate K. Ilango when a suicide bomber struck them at Lucky house, one of the Plote training camp in Vavuniya about 260 km from here, at 12.45 p.m.

Both Mr Manickadasan and Mr Ilango died instantly while the body of the unidentified suicide bomber was strewn around.

The controversial militant who believed in the arms culture and worked with the Sri Lankan security forces, was a target as he had launched a full-scale war against the LTTE.

The recent clashes between Plote and another Tamil party TELO (Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation) were because Mr Manickadasan believed TELO was a pro-LTTE organisation.

Although Plote is a known pro-government organisation, of late Manickadasan was making pro-LTTE statements. But for the LTTE, Manickadasan was its enemy.

Some three months ago, a self-styled military leader of another Tamil party EPRLF (Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front) Razak was killed by an LTTE suicide bomber in Batticaloa.

AP adds: Sri Lankan troops captured a strategic coastal town used by the Tamil Tigers to move fighters and material into their northeastern stronghold, Defence Ministry officials said on Thursday.

Backed by artillery fire, several hundred soldiers moved into Kathiraveli in an attack that began at dawn yesterday. There was no resistance from the rebels, said the officials speaking on condition of anonymity.

Government troops were pitching tents in the town and calling for reinforcements to help retain control of the town. The area is 80 km north of Batticaloa, the main town in the east which is under government control.

Priest killed, church burnt in Orissa

THAKURMUNDA (Orissa), Sept 2 (PTI) — In continuing attacks on the minorities in Orissa, a priest of a Roman Catholic Church was killed and a church set ablaze by miscreants at Jamabani village in Mayurbhanj district early today, the police said.

The priest, Aruldoss, who belonged to the Roman Catholic Church at Anandapur in neighbouring Keonjhar district was first beaten up with lathis and then attacked with arrows when he was trying to flee, one of the two eyewitnesses to the incident, said in the FIR lodged with the police.

However, neither the identity of the killers nor the motive behind the crime is known, the police said.

Darshan Birua, who accompanied the parish priest to the village from Anandapur on Tuesday last, said in the FIR that Aruldoss, who visited the area often to impart Bible teachings and conduct prayer meetings, first visited Sarat village yesterday.

Later, Aruldoss and Birua, accompanied by Katesingh Khuntia of Sarat village, went to Jamabant village yesterday.

This is the third such incident in the area located on both sides of the Keonjhar-Mayurbhanj district border after Australian missionary Grahm Stuart Staines and his two minor sons were burnt to death at Manoharpur on January 22 last and followed by the killing of a Muslim trader, Shaikh Rehman at Padiabeda on August 26 last.

Although the fugitive Dara Singh was the main accused in Manoharpur and Padiabeda killings, it could not be immediately ascertained if he or any of his associates were involved in the incident.

Aruldoss, along with Birua and Khuntia, attended a prayer meeting at Jamabani church between 12 noon and 2 p.m. yesterday and watched a tribal dance programme before retiring for the night. They were sleeping in two different houses near the church.

As per the FIR, about 15 to 20 persons, armed with lathis and bows and arrows, attacked the three at around 2 am. First they beat up Aruldoss and Khuntia and when they tried to flee, they shot arrows at them.

Though Khuntia escaped, the priest was hit by arrows and fell down. He was then beaten up again severely before the gang left the place. But while retreating they set fire to the church.