Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers vowed Friday to "get rid" of a renegade commander who led an unprecedented split among the rebels, triggering fears of a factional war amid an already faltering peace process.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in its strongest attack against V. Muralitharan, better known by his war name Karuna, said rebel cadres should "comprehend Karuna's treachery and keep away from him."
"To safeguard our nation and our people, it has been decided to get rid of Karuna from our soil," the LTTE said in a statement posted on its peace secretariat website.
It said LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran, 49, was ready to grant a discharge from the organisation for cadres who abandon Karuna, 37, who holds sway in the eastern districts of Batticaloa and Ampara.
"In spite of the advice, if any of the cadres decide to arm in favour of Karuna, he or she would be deemed responsible for the consequences," the LTTE said. "The demise of such a cadre will not be with the honour of a martyr."
The Tigers charged that Karuna led the breakaway on March 3 when he was called by the Tiger leader for an inquiry into his "immoral conduct, fraudulent financial transactions and arbitrary assassinations".
"Karuna, who feared that the charges would be proved and disciplinary action taken against him, refused to comply with the leadership's command and went on levelling false accusations against the Leadership."
For his part, Karuna had said that he decided to break away because the Prabhakaran had asked him to send 1,000 combatants to the island's north in preparation for resuming his separatist war.
The Tiger leadership has denied the allegation and vowed to abide by the Norwegian-brokered truce in place since February 2002. Karuna has asked for a separate truce deal with Colombo, a request already rejected.
The renegades have said that the main rebel leadership based in the island's northern Wanni region had deployed hundreds of fighters along a river that marks the Batticaloa district border in the island's east.