By DPA
Colombo : The funeral of S.P. Thamilselvan, political wing leader of the Tamil rebel movement, was held in northern Sri Lanka Monday as the military intensified security throughout the island to prevent possible retaliatory attacks.
Armed rebels were joined by hundreds of their cadres to take part in Thamilselvan’s funeral in Kilinochchi, 370 km north of the capital.
Normal activity in the area came to a standstill and civilians were told to mourn the death of the rebel leader, who was killed last Friday in a raid by the Sri Lankan Air Force.
In the military controlled northern Jaffna peninsula and the rest of the country security was stepped up, with additional checks on vehicles and more roadblocks to prevent rebels carrying out any attacks to avenge the death of their political wing leader.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa Sunday called on all government members of parliament, including ministers, to be extra vigilant as the rebels have vowed to avenge the killing of Thamilselvan, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported.
He told the MPs that rebels may try to target his brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who is the defence secretary, or Basil Rajapaksa, who is an MP and advisor to the president, or the president himself.
“However, the Tigers (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) will try to take the life of any other member whom they consider important under these circumstances,” he was quoted as saying.
The rebels have appointed P. Nadesanthe, head of their police division, to succeed Thamilselvan, who held the position of the political wing leader for more than 10 years.
Meanwhile, Tamil rebels fired artillery shells at Omanthai, the entry point between the rebel controlled and government controlled area, 240 km north of the capital, prompting the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) representatives to withdraw from the point and forcing the army to halt movement of civilians.
Elsewhere, at least seven rebels were killed in two separate incidents in the north in confrontations with the rebels.
Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake has warned that the air force will continue to track down the leaders of Tamil rebels and launch air strikes against them, the defence ministry said.