Assassination of an officer and a gentleman

Sunday crime by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

Another decorated soldier became the victim of a terrorist attack last week when a suicide cadre (presumably LTTE) blew himself up after ramming his motor cycle packed with explosives against a car carrying the third most senior officer of the Sri Lanka army at Pannipitiya.

The incident happened at the turn off to the Pannipitiya railway station around 7.45 am during the rush hour. This was not the first isolated incident where high ranking army officers became victims of such attacks. Several decorated soldiers in the past fell victims to such despicable attacks by terrorists.

Among the top military men assassinated by suicide bombers in the past were the Rear Admiral Clancy Fernando, the then Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, General Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Major General Wije Wimalaratne and even General Ranjan Wijerane the former deputy minister of Defence to name a few. According to police all these killings bear the hallmark of LTTE involvement.

Last weeks assassination was of Major General Parami Kulatunga, a top military strategist and the third high ranking officer in the Sri Lanka Army. The others killed in the attack were his driver, army sergeant Gomes, and his security officer along with a layman. Scores of other people were injured in the attack.

The suicide attack sent shock waves throughout the country. It was a well planned deadly attack aimed at the army. Police suspect that several other persons were also involved in the attack.

This was the second suicide attack on a top army General within a period of two months. It was in May that a woman suicide cadre launched a deadly suicide attack on the army commander, Major General Fonseka near the army hospital at the army headquarters. Miraculously the army commander escaped with serious bodily injuries, although several other army personnel perished in that attack.

The serious security lapse, as to how a woman suicide cadre was able to penetrate army headquarters is being thoroughly probed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). They are expected to announce the progress of the case shortly.

The Colombo Crime Division (CCD) investigating Major General Parami Kulatunga's assassination said they weren't quite sure whether the suicide bomber who rammed his motor cycle against the Major General's car wore a jacket laden with explosives or whether the explosives were concealed in the petrol tank of the motor cycle.

There was a possibility that the explosive could have been concealed in the petrol tank. But owing to the massive explosion the motor cycle was ripped apart and bits and pieces were strewn all over the area. A mass of flesh belonging to the suicide cadre was also found on the roadside. With body parts collected from the scene of the blast an attempt is made with the help of JMO Colombo to reconstruct the suicide bombers body for identification purposes.

Meanwhile the Government Analyst is conducting extensive tests to determine the type of explosives used in the blast. Police will also use modern technology to interpret telecommunication messages that will shed light on the assassination.

Director of Colombo Crime Division, SSP Sarath Lugoda said they have despatched three teams to track down the mysterious man who had purchased the motor cycle used in the suicide attack. The motor cycle had been purchased from a person residing at Wattala but the man who bought it had disappeared.

"We will be able to collect much more details when we trace him. So far we have questioned around 45 persons but no arrest has been made as yet," SSP Lugoda said. Meanwhile the police are also probing whether several suicide cadres had followed the Major General's vehicle before the explosion took place.