Colombo  - Unidentified gunmen shot dead Tuesday an advisor to a minority Tamil cabinet minister at her residence in northern Sri Lanka, police said.

The advisor Maheshwari Velauthan, was at her residence in Karaveddi, Jaffna, and was shot by three men dressed in military type uniforms.

Velauthan had served as a human rights activist as well as advisor to Minister Douglas Devananda, who heads the Tamil minority party - the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP).

Velauthan had come under threat from the LTTE while Minister Devananda has already escaped three attempts on his life.

Police said they believe that Tamil rebels, who infiltrated the government controlled area in Jaffna, had posed as security personnel and shot her.

A spokesman for the EPDP also said they believed that the LTTE was responsible for the killing.

The EPDP has backed the security forces in their military campaign against the rebels and also a partner in the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government. (dpa)