The Hindu Business Line : LTTE wanted a huge Tamileelam state: Gotabhaya

COLOMBO: The LTTE led by its supremo V Prabhakaran had aspired to carve out a big Tamileelam state extending from near Colombo to the southern part of Sri Lanka, the island nation's top defence official has said.

“The large built up of its naval, air force and ground fighters including the suicide cadres was suggestive of the LTTE ambitions,” Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the Defence Secretary and Sri Lankan President Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa's brother, said.

The advancing Sri Lankan security forces have captured several of the LTTE areas and are looking to seize the rest of the Tiger pockets.

“When we look at the LTTE military equipments and the training ground of the army it is clear they were looking to establish a large Eelam state,” he said.

“Maps retrieved from those places confirm this fact as they had hoped to create a Eelam from Negombo to Yala including certain parts of the (Buddhist city) Anuradhapura,” he said yesterday.

While Negombo is 40 km north of Colombo and 7 km from Colombo International Airport, Yala is located in Southern Sri Lanka.

“Hence, it is clear what we would have had to encounter if we do not initiate this humanitarian operation,” Rajapaksa said while referring to the steps taken to bring out the besieged Tamil refugees from the LTTE-controlled area. - PTI

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