On Thursday (12 March), the Sri Lankan troops killed the head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's vast international financing network. The army also captured a hospital complex in Puthukudiyiruppu, the last town the separatist guerrillas hold. At present, Sri Lanka's military has encircled the LTTE in a mere 37 sq km land in the island nation's northeastern coast. The Sri Lankan troops are fighting to deal a death blow to a civil war that has raged off and on since 1983.

 

Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that, Sabarathnam Selvathurai, the chief of the LTTE's financial wing was killed in a mortar fire yesterday (11th March). Selvathurai, who was popularly known as Thamilendri among his circle, administered LTTE finances. Analysts say that, LTTE finances were built up to millions of dollars a year generated through smuggling, credit card fraud, extortion and Tamil diasporas donations.

 

On Thursday (12th March) morning, soldiers captured the Puthukudiyiruppu hospital, a large medical complex. Army commanders claimed that, nearly all of the Tamil Tigers' top guerrillas including leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran are in a small area surrounded by the army, with some even personally commanding the battles.