Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran would rather seek a safe haven in the jungles of northern Mullaitivu and carry on a guerilla warfare with government troops than flee Sri Lanka, a former Tiger commander who left the LTTE in 2004 and is now a member of parliament has said.

Karuna, who is now a confidante of President Mahinda Rajapakse as a mainstream Tamil politician, said reports that Prabhakaran was planning to flee to India or Indonesia could be discounted.

His comments come days after the fall of Prabhakaran’s administrative capital in northern Kilinochchi when government troops stormed into the region and took full control of the rebel headquarters.

Analysts say the LTTE may set up camps in the midst of civilians, and dare the government artillery and aircraft to shell them. So far the government has declared that it has succeeded in a zero civilian casualty policy in its capturing of Kilinochchi.