Unidentified gunmen shot dead a man suspected to be linked to Tamil Tiger rebel renegade eastern commander known as Karuna in eastern Batticaloa early on Wednesday,police said.

Sivrajah Sivaseelan, 28, the manager of a local society was killed early on Wednesday in Kiran, 27 km north of Batticaloa.

He was riding a motorbike when the gunmen ambushed him at Kiranjunction, police said.

Another man, identified as Seniththamby Yogarajan and believed to be an army informant linked to breakaway Karuna faction of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels, was shot dead Tuesday night in Kaluwaanchikudy, 24 km south of Batticaloa.

Karuna, once the LTTE powerful eastern commander, broke ranks with the mainstream group led by the reclusive leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in March.

Karuna's whereabouts is not known since April after his fighting squad was crushed by the Prabhakaran faction one month later and the Tigers have been accusing the government troops of colluding with the renegade commander.

The government has denied the accusations of propping up Karunabut the bickering over the issue has hampered efforts to revive the Norwegian-brokered peace talks which have been on hold since April last year.

The LTTE internecine clashes have also upset the peaceful calm prevailed in this island nation since February 2002 when the LTTE and the government entered the ongoing ceasefire.

Following the spate of killings the government has tightened security in the country.

Source: Xinhua