The Army is especially critical of the manner in which the police intervened to inquire into the finding of an old LTTE suicide jacket in Jaffna.

Top Army officers have warned the police’s having acted outside the accepted procedure and without any coordination with the military in the north would endanger national security.

The TID under SP Nalaka Silva has arrested 12 ex-LTTE members in eastern province and is questioning them over the finding of the suicide jacket.

Among them are Ram, inteligence leader for east, the head of intelligence in Trincomalee, leader of Charles Anthony brigade Nagulan and Batticaloa intelligence leader Prabha.

However, all of them have cooperated with the Army intelligence since the end of the war.

15 ex-LTTE worked as Army spies

In 2008, around 150 LTTE intelligence operatives had surrendered and 15 of them chosen and brought under Army intelligence to be its paid employees until 2013.

In addition, they have been provided with property and other facilities to lead a normal life.

However, questions have been raised over what services the Army has received from them.

Carried out political murders, attacks

Police have uncovered that during the Rajapaks regime, these ex-LTTE men, together with an Army intelligence team, had committed political murders and carried out attacks in both the north and the south.

Nearly 200 are to be arrested over these incidents, police sources say, but the investigations are making no headway or are to be abandoned due to possible clashes between the police and the Army.

Police, Army trade allegations

TID officials are of the view that the Army intelligence together with its LTTE spies, had been engaging in a nefarious game.

Also, they say the Army intelligence still operates under officers loyal to ex-defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, which should not be allowed to continue.

However, Army intelligence alleges this could be yet another betrayal similar to the Millennium City fiasco.

Meanwhile, political sources say police actions in the north could have negative international implications on the country.

Diplomats have expressed concern the media was highlighting anti-Tamil sentiments while Rajapaksas and their loyalists are spreading rumours about a non-existent terrorism in the country.

Both the military and the police have assured that there was no room left for the revival of LTTE terrorism or any other form of armed struggle in the country.