Lanka candidate shot dead

They entered Sathyamoorthy8217;s house and escaped after spraying bullets on him and his son-in-law, they said. Sathyamoorthy, a candidate from the Tamil National Alliance TNA, had been a staunch supporter of breakaway Tiger leader V. Muralitharan, better known as Karuna, who led an unprecedented split in the main rebel group earlier this month.

Karuna8217;s spokesman Varadan said the killing was the handiwork of the main LTTE in North Island. 8216;8216;Choosing civilian targets is provocative,8217;8217; he said. 8216;8216;Despite these provocations we try to be patient. We fear the consequences of these activities of Prabhakaran and his intelligence chief Pottu Amman,8217;8217; he said.

However, Tiger officials in the Island8217;s north denied any involvement. The main Tiger leadership had earlier warned those who supported Karuna would be treated as traitors. Tigers are known to kill people whom they label as 8216;8216;traitors.8217;8217;

Sathyamoorthy had organised protests in the region in support of Karuna after the main rebel organisation expelled him and labelled him a traitor. Military officials fear there could be more attacks against Karuna supporters.

The latest killings came amid a series of shootings that have targeted top electoral candidates here. A candidate was murdered on March 1 and two days later the LTTE split.