Oct 17, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Eastern Province is again horrified with the bloody clashes that have erupted between the loyalists of paramilitary leader Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan alias Karuna and the group led by Pillaiyan who has toppled Karuna from leadership and taken over the helm.

Pillaiyan Group reportedly gunned down two Karuna loyalists yesterday (16) at Palathoppur in the Trincomalee district. More clashes are expected to come.

Pillaiyan was the back bone of Karuna Group since the leader was paralyzed due to the threats to his life from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE). Reports however said that Karuna was reinstated as the leader on Monday but the position is ceremonial.

Karuna the former Eastern commander of the LTTE broke away in 2004 and his group provided vital support to the government security forces to crack on the Tamil Tigers. Karuna is believed to have left the country while several more leaders of his group are also getting ready to leave the country, sources from Eastern Province said.