COLOMBO, March 13: Renegade Tamil Tiger leader Karuna has said the LTTE would never be able to create a separate state in Sri Lanka's north and east, according to an interview given to an Indian newspaper.

Mr Karuna, the powerful eastern commander of the Liberation Tigers sacked by the LTTE last week, cited a lack of international support as the reason for the guerillas' inability to achieve their independence goal.

Mr Karuna said the "gravest mistake" committed by the LTTE was its "decision to murder" former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.