Violence continued in Sri Lanka’s Northeast with kidnappings being reported amid gun and grenade attacks on Sri Lankan security forces, the Liberation Tigers and civilians, but there were fewer incidents than in the previous week.
A Muslim owner of a business was shot and wounded in Monday night at his residence in Eravur, 15 km north of Batticaloa town, by gunmen believed to be belonging to a Muslim armed group.
Last Friday night another Muslim businessman shot and wounded at Mavadichenai in Valaichenai, 32 km north of Batticaloa, by gunmen also believed to be Muslims, Valaichenai police said.
Police allege that a Muslim armed group in the east is engaged in extortion among Muslim business owners in Batticaloa.
Armed men believed to be cadres of the paramilitary Karuna Group kidnapped three youths at gunpoint Saturday night in Kaluwankerny in Eravur. Parents of the kidnapped youths told Eravur police the kidnappers had come in a white van.
At least five youths have been reported disappeared last week in the Batticaloa district.
A worker attached to Sammanthurai bus depot of the Ceylon Transport Board (CTB), was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at his home in Akkaraipattu, in Amparai district, 64 km south of Batticaloa, Sunday night.
The motive behind the killing was not clear, Akkaraipattu Police said.
Unidentified assailants Thursday morning opened fire at a tri-shaw transporting a cadre of the paramilitary Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) and the policemen providing escort to his vehicle.
Three policemen, the EPDP cadre and the tri-shaw driver were wounded and rushed to Batticaloa Hospital. The incident took place near a police post located north of Batticaloa town on Trincomalee Road.
The policemen returned fire at the assailants, however they managed to flee from the site, police said, adding that the gunmen had used T-56 assault rifle.
However, violence in Jaffna tailed off this week, in comparison to the previous week which saw several grenade attacks on Sri Lankan military checkpoints and vehicles.
Two men who entered the Liberation Tigers controlled area near the Muhamalai crossing point on Friday and attempted to lob grenades at the LTTE sentry post were shot while they tried to escape.
One of the attackers was later rushed to Chavakacheri hospital by the Sri Lanka Army. The fate of the other is not known.
Also Friday, a grenade was thrown at the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentry point located near the gas station close to Jaffna Windsor theatre. No one was injured but the structure was badly damaged.
Following the incident additional SLA troops were brought to the town. Security forces established check points at several locations and started checking the public.
Eight soldiers attached to the SLA’s 512 brigade, presently occupying the landmark Gnanams and Subash hotels in Jaffna, were electrocuted when the truck they were travelling in entangled with the live electric perimeter fence.
All have been admitted to Jaffna Teaching Hospital, two o having suffered life threatening injuries.
Civil groups and fishermen’s unions have been complaining to the SLA and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) to abandon the practice of electrifying fences, especially following the recent death of a Gurunagar fisherman who was electrocuted by a SLN fence.
In Trincomalee, unidentified men shot dead a Tamil youth on a scooter Saturday night in front of a leading jewellery shop along Dockyard Road in the eastern port town.
The incident took place a few meters from the main entrance to the eastern headquarters of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), police said.
Security forces and police immediately launched a cordon and search operation blocking all roads leading the scene.
The murdered youth is said to be an informant of the Sri Lanka security forces. He was earlier in the LTTE and later left the movement.
Civilians entering the LTTE-controlled Muttur east territory in the Trincomalee district are now subjected to severe checking and interrogation by Sri Lanka troops. Several people were refused entry.
A group of Sri Lankan officials of the Education International (EI), all Sinhalese, were detained Wednesday for two houres at the Kaddaiparichchan SLA checkpoint because they were Sinhalese.
The EI officials told the soldiers that they were going to two Tamil villages Cheenanveli and Uppooral in the Muttur east to lay foundation stones for new buildings of two schools, which were damaged by recent tsunami.
The defense ministry later authorised the SLA at Kaddaiparichchan camp to allow them through.
Also on Thursday, representatives of fisheries co-operative societies in the Trincomalee district on their way to meeting being held in Chenaiyoor Central College were blocked by the troops at Kaddaiparichchan.
After the intervention of the international ceasefire monitors, the troops allowed the officials to proceed to Muttur east.
On the other side of the island, two unidentified gunmen entered a jewellery shop located on Puttalam Mannar Road in Puttalam town and shot at the owner, wounding him. The gunmen fled on a motorbike. Motive behind the shooting incident is not clear, police said.
Compiled from TamilNet reports
A Muslim owner of a business was shot and wounded in Monday night at his residence in Eravur, 15 km north of Batticaloa town, by gunmen believed to be belonging to a Muslim armed group.
Last Friday night another Muslim businessman shot and wounded at Mavadichenai in Valaichenai, 32 km north of Batticaloa, by gunmen also believed to be Muslims, Valaichenai police said.
Police allege that a Muslim armed group in the east is engaged in extortion among Muslim business owners in Batticaloa.
Armed men believed to be cadres of the paramilitary Karuna Group kidnapped three youths at gunpoint Saturday night in Kaluwankerny in Eravur. Parents of the kidnapped youths told Eravur police the kidnappers had come in a white van.
At least five youths have been reported disappeared last week in the Batticaloa district.
A worker attached to Sammanthurai bus depot of the Ceylon Transport Board (CTB), was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at his home in Akkaraipattu, in Amparai district, 64 km south of Batticaloa, Sunday night.
The motive behind the killing was not clear, Akkaraipattu Police said.
Unidentified assailants Thursday morning opened fire at a tri-shaw transporting a cadre of the paramilitary Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) and the policemen providing escort to his vehicle.
Three policemen, the EPDP cadre and the tri-shaw driver were wounded and rushed to Batticaloa Hospital. The incident took place near a police post located north of Batticaloa town on Trincomalee Road.
The policemen returned fire at the assailants, however they managed to flee from the site, police said, adding that the gunmen had used T-56 assault rifle.
However, violence in Jaffna tailed off this week, in comparison to the previous week which saw several grenade attacks on Sri Lankan military checkpoints and vehicles.
Two men who entered the Liberation Tigers controlled area near the Muhamalai crossing point on Friday and attempted to lob grenades at the LTTE sentry post were shot while they tried to escape.
One of the attackers was later rushed to Chavakacheri hospital by the Sri Lanka Army. The fate of the other is not known.
Also Friday, a grenade was thrown at the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentry point located near the gas station close to Jaffna Windsor theatre. No one was injured but the structure was badly damaged.
Following the incident additional SLA troops were brought to the town. Security forces established check points at several locations and started checking the public.
Eight soldiers attached to the SLA’s 512 brigade, presently occupying the landmark Gnanams and Subash hotels in Jaffna, were electrocuted when the truck they were travelling in entangled with the live electric perimeter fence.
All have been admitted to Jaffna Teaching Hospital, two o having suffered life threatening injuries.
Civil groups and fishermen’s unions have been complaining to the SLA and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) to abandon the practice of electrifying fences, especially following the recent death of a Gurunagar fisherman who was electrocuted by a SLN fence.
In Trincomalee, unidentified men shot dead a Tamil youth on a scooter Saturday night in front of a leading jewellery shop along Dockyard Road in the eastern port town.
The incident took place a few meters from the main entrance to the eastern headquarters of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), police said.
Security forces and police immediately launched a cordon and search operation blocking all roads leading the scene.
The murdered youth is said to be an informant of the Sri Lanka security forces. He was earlier in the LTTE and later left the movement.
Civilians entering the LTTE-controlled Muttur east territory in the Trincomalee district are now subjected to severe checking and interrogation by Sri Lanka troops. Several people were refused entry.
A group of Sri Lankan officials of the Education International (EI), all Sinhalese, were detained Wednesday for two houres at the Kaddaiparichchan SLA checkpoint because they were Sinhalese.
The EI officials told the soldiers that they were going to two Tamil villages Cheenanveli and Uppooral in the Muttur east to lay foundation stones for new buildings of two schools, which were damaged by recent tsunami.
The defense ministry later authorised the SLA at Kaddaiparichchan camp to allow them through.
Also on Thursday, representatives of fisheries co-operative societies in the Trincomalee district on their way to meeting being held in Chenaiyoor Central College were blocked by the troops at Kaddaiparichchan.
After the intervention of the international ceasefire monitors, the troops allowed the officials to proceed to Muttur east.
On the other side of the island, two unidentified gunmen entered a jewellery shop located on Puttalam Mannar Road in Puttalam town and shot at the owner, wounding him. The gunmen fled on a motorbike. Motive behind the shooting incident is not clear, police said.
Compiled from TamilNet reports
