In a shocking revelation, President Maithripala Sirisena said the LTTE, during the last two weeks of war, had plans to cluster-bomb Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, using aircraft's operated from Chennai. 

That is why, Sirisena said, some top-notch war time leaders  - namely  former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, former Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickremanayake and former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka - were not in the country during the last to weeks of the battle. 

Addressing the Sri Lankan community in New York yesterday, Sirisena said he was entrusted with the task of acting as the Defence Minister as the top-brass leaders of his camp had backed off. 

"No one knew why all of them left the country during the crucial stage of the battle, but I did, " Sirisena said. 

"So I know what happened during the last two weeks of war more than anyone, " the President said. 

He stressed that the country's armed forces, whom he led during the final stage of the conflict, did not commit any war crimes and fought "magninimously."

Therefore, Sirisena said, he would do everything in his capacity as the President, to save "war heroes" from serious charges leveled against them.