AG indicts three LTTE cadres for killing 26 POWs

• The 18 Navy and 8 Army personnel were held POW in secret LTTE camp
• They were killed and set on fire in January 2009, days before Kilinochchi fell
• Trial will continue today before Vavuniya High Court judge

The Attorney General (AG) yesterday indicted three LTTE cadres before the Vavuniya High Court for killing 26 military personnel who were Prisoners of War (POW).

The men were indicted under the Prevention of Terrorism (PTA) Act for killing 18 navy personnel and eight army personnel during the last phase of the fourth Eelam war.

On 16 January 2009, the three accused with others unknown to the prosecution had killed and set fire to the 26 members of the armed forces in the Vallipuram area, within a camp the LTTE secretly kept POWs.  The incident had taken place a few days before Kilinochchi was captured by Government troops. The three men indicted are Irasathurai Thiruwarul, Madiarasan Sulakshan and Ghaneshan Dharshan.

The case was taken up for trial yesterday before High Court Judge Vavuniya Ramanathan Kannan and adjourned till today.