Colombo: Sri Lanka's renegade Tamil Tigers crippled artillery guns and mortar launchers before ending their factional war with the main rebel outfit, military sources said today (Apr 13, 2004).

The renegade commander V Muralitharan, better known as Karuna, ordered the destruction of heavy guns, the sources said adding that a large quantity of small arms had however, been left behind.

As Karuna's men fled, their main Meenaham base was being looted by local residents, the military said adding power generators, electrical and electronic equipment was being taken away.

Since the rebel base is located in an area outside security forces control, there was nothing the military could do to stop the looting.

Locals had also reported seeing several dead bodies, possibly of rebels killed during the four days of fighting that ended yesterday (Apr 12, 2004), but there was no official confirmation.

Both factions had said only 10 cadres were killed in the fighting, but military source fear the fatalities were much higher.

The main Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was moving in to take control over the rebel-held areas of Batticaloa and the neighbouring Ampara district after Karuna's forces melted away.

Meanwhile, the UN agency for children, UNICEF said the LTTE was freeing over 100 child soldiers in the Eastern town of Vakarai today.

The children were among some 300 fighters who fell into the custody of the advancing Tiger column that moved on Friday (Apr 9, 2004) to take over territory held by renegades loyal to Karuna.