Killinochi (Sri Lanka), Apr 24 : A top Sri Lankan army official has said that LTTE Chief V. Prabhakaran may escape from the country via the sea route, using a submarine.

Several Indian dailies quoted Brigadier Shavendra Desilva, the General-Officer-Commanding 58 Division, as saying, "Prabhakaran, who is present in the no-fire zone along with his son Charles Anthony, Tigers'' intelligence chief Pottu Amman and Sea Tiger chief Soosai, might have retained a submarine to escape from the island."

This information was disclosed by the LTTE''s media co-ordinator, Daya Master, who surrendered to the army at Putumathalan in the no-fire zone on Wednesday.

Another key rebel leader George also surrendered before the army.

Revealing more about Prabhakaran, Master told the army that though Prabhakaran says he would not escape the area, the Tamil Tigers'' chief would run away at the first given opportunity.

Brigadier Desilva said the military operation would move slowly as 15,000 civilians are still under LTTE control in the no-fire zone. (ANI)