He is responding to state media reports that the CID, in the course of its investigations into the disappearance of lankaenews website journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda, has uncovered such a group.

Fonseka says he believes neither his successor nor the Army intelligence wanted to create such a group, which did not exist even at the height of the war.

He goes on to say the Army intelligence should be held responsible, if certain of its personnel say Ekneligoda was kept at a camp of this shadow LTTE group.

If a murder has takn place in this case, which is not allowed according to military discipline, those concerned should be held responsible, Fonseka adds.

However, arrested suspects in the Ekneligoda disappearance, Thavendran and Satya Master, aka Shiva, have given statements which say the Army intelligence had formed a shadow LTTE under ‘operation double edge’ around June 2009.

Opposed to the LTTE’s international operations, this has functioned under Lt. Col. Kumararatne, Lt. Col. Siriwardena and carried out several operations, they have said.