Three obituary posters found by troops operating in the Mannar battlefront have revealed the details of 150 LTTE cadres including at over 20 child soldiers killed in one month. According to the defence sources, the posters were found on a billboard in a recently captured office of an LTTE regional leader in the Karakakulam area.

The three posters contained details of 50 LTTE cadres on each, including their name, rank and the unit that they had been working for. However, no ranks were mentioned against 30 cadres who were still in their younger years. According to the details mentioned on the posters the LTTE cadres were killed at various locations in Jaffna and Wanni theatre of operations from 17th February to 22nd March this year.  

A defence intelligence official speaking to defence.lk said that many of the LTTE cadres on the posters must have been those forcibly led into the battle by the LTTE leadership.  

"The pictures of teenagers and children show that LTTE is still using child soldiers despite its attempts cover up the existence of the shameful baby brigade", he said.  

"There were pictures of 5 self styled "Lieutenant Colonels", 9 Majors, 14 captains, 51 Lieutenants, 41 Second Lieutenants and 30 others without any rank, on the posters", he added. Speaking further he told that the idea behind the posters might have been to convince the parents of those who were killed that their children had been given very high status or rank in the terror outfit.  

" It is a well known fact that LTTE is forcibly taking young children from their parents to be trained as terrorists . So, aggrieved parents are now rallying against the LTTE leadership in Wanni for robbing their loved ones of them, he added.  

Earlier, reports declared by the UNICEF have accused the outfit of recruiting over 2000 children to its ranks through coercion campaigns carried out in the non-liberated areas.  

Following are the obituary posters of the 150 LTTE cadres killed, including those believed to be child soldiers.

(Courtesy : Ministry of Defence )