BATTICALOA, May 19: A Sri Lankan police intelligence operative was shot dead on Wednesday at a post office in the eastern Batticaloa town. Police officials said they suspected the Tamil Tigers' hand in the killing.

Constable Dassanayaka was buying stamps at the post office when he was shot at, police said. Sources in the military intelligence claimed they had briefed President Chandrika Kumaratunga last month that the LTTE was working on a plan to eliminate a number of intelligence officials.

Since the government and the LTTE signed a cease fire agreement two years ago, about forty intelligent officials have been killed. Constable Dassanayaka was the second official of the government's intelligent unit to have been killed in Batticaloa during the past two weeks.