Colombo, July 19 (DPA) Sri Lanka’s security forces and police have unearthed secret documents belonging to the deceased leader of Tamil Tiger rebels, a newspaper reported Sunday.
The documents belonging to Velupillai Prabhakaran, who was killed in the final days of conflict between his forces and the Sri Lankan Army in May, were discovered in barrels in Vellamulliyavaikkal, 395 km northeast of the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.

Information from a close associate of Prabhakaran led to the find, the Sunday Times reported.

The documents contained details of proposed rebel attacks, including suicide missions, details of arms purchases, bank transactions and plans to revamp the rebel organisation, the newspaper quoted Superintendent of Police Vass Gunawardena as saying.

Some 272 files have been brought to the capital and are being carefully sifted through, the paper said.

The source of the information was captured during the government’s final battle with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in northeastern Sri Lanka.

“We believe that this is the most vital information we have found so far, during or after the military operations in the north,” Gunawardena said.

Among the unearthed documents were details of the rebel network in the capital and their operations in the city, he said.

The detections came as the army Saturday reported the discovery of a submarine-type craft used by the rebels during the final battle, a military spokesman said.

The vessel was found in the sea off Vellamulliyavaikkal and has been brought ashore, they said.

Security forces have continued to find large stocks of ammunition and weapons left behind by the LTTE.

Tamil rebels had been fighting for a separate homeland for minority Tamils in the northeastern part of the country for the last 26 years.