The Tamil Tiger rebels' new leader, Selvarasa Pathmanathan, has been arrested, Sri Lankan officials say. Sri Lanka's defence minister told the BBC that Mr Pathmanathan, better known as KP, was detained in Thailand, where he had been residing for many years. He took over the leadership of t
he remnants of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) after their defeat in May by Sri Lankan security forces. Mr Pathmanathan was wanted on two Interpol warrants. There has been no comment yet from the rebels on the arrest of Mr Pathmanathan.The Sri Lankan Defence Minister, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, told the BBC that the new Tamil Tiger leader had been arrested, but he did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding his capture. Mr Pathmanathan was widely believed to be running the LTTE's arms and smuggling networks for years. But he took over the leadership of the LTTE after the former head, Velupillai Pirabhakaran, and his top commanders were killed during the military offensive in north-eastern Sri Lanka in May. As the new rebel leader, Mr Pathmanathan said the LTTE had decided to silence their guns and would try non-violent methods to achieve their goal of a separate state for the Tamil minority. If Mr Pathmanathan's arrest is independently confirmed, it would be another significant blow for the LTTE. He is also wanted in India in connection with the assassination of the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, by a suspected Tamil female suicide bomber, in 1991.
he remnants of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) after their defeat in May by Sri Lankan security forces. Mr Pathmanathan was wanted on two Interpol warrants. There has been no comment yet from the rebels on the arrest of Mr Pathmanathan.The Sri Lankan Defence Minister, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, told the BBC that the new Tamil Tiger leader had been arrested, but he did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding his capture. Mr Pathmanathan was widely believed to be running the LTTE's arms and smuggling networks for years. But he took over the leadership of the LTTE after the former head, Velupillai Pirabhakaran, and his top commanders were killed during the military offensive in north-eastern Sri Lanka in May. As the new rebel leader, Mr Pathmanathan said the LTTE had decided to silence their guns and would try non-violent methods to achieve their goal of a separate state for the Tamil minority. If Mr Pathmanathan's arrest is independently confirmed, it would be another significant blow for the LTTE. He is also wanted in India in connection with the assassination of the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, by a suspected Tamil female suicide bomber, in 1991.Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8188900.stm
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