BATTICALOA, June 7: With killings in the eastern region reaching an uncontrollable state and speculation rife that the renegade LTTE leader, Karuna, is behind the killings, the LTTE wants to deploy armed cadres in government held areas in the Ampara and Batticaloa region to hunt Karuna loyalists.

According to LTTE sources in Killinochchi, its leadership believes that the Norway-facilitated ceasefire between the government and the LTTE should not restrict their ongoing operations against the renegade cadres.

The government, however, has turned down a formal request made by the LTTE. The security forces had turned down the request on the basis that the ceasefire prohibits the entry of armed LTTE cadres into regions controlled by the security forces in the north-eastern areas.

The LTTE has repeatedly accused Karuna loyalists of being part of a plot created by the government. Meanwhile, the LTTE in their weekend meeting with the 22- member Tamil National Alliance had insisted that the government should first formally agree the interim administration of the North-East be given to the LTTE, before the rebels agree to resume talks.