Seven youth killed by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops near their camp in Nelliyadi on May 4 were not Tamil Tiger cadres, but young revellers on their way to a birthday party, press reports said.
The seven youth, travelling near Nelliyadi junction in Vadamaradchi, Jaffna, were killed when SLA troops fired rockets at the auto rickshaws in which they were travelling. The attack took place in a lane near the SLA Intelligence Camp in Navindil, 300 meters from Nelliyadi junction.
Military officials claimed the men were shot dead by security forces when they tried to attack a military sentry point at Nelliyadi in the Jaffna peninsula. Other military officials said the youths lobbed grenades into a nearby paramilitary camp near an SLA checkpoint.
However, Tamil parliamentarians and press reports said the youths, aged between 17 and 22, had been on their way to attend a birthday party in two rickshaws.
They claim the youths were fired at after a grenade attack behind the Intelligence camp in which three SLA personnel, including an officer, were wounded.
SLA soldiers used Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launchers, killing all of them on the spot. Following the incident, the security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area.
The youths were all from Rajakiramam, a village 500 meters south of Nelliyadi, which had already been tense after the shootings of 2 auto rickshaw drivers earlier. The situation was further intensified when Sri Lankan troops at the Intelligence camp and policemen threatened the parents to provide statement that the youths were LTTE cadres.
The government’s version was slightly different to that in the Tamil media.
Military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe said seven LTTE cadres armed with hand grenades arrived in two three-wheelers and launched an attack on the two soldiers at the military checkpoint near the filling station at Nelliyadi and fled the scene.
However, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in a statement rejected this version of events, pointing out that the youths were in a bar at the time off the attack on the SLA camp.
“The grenade attack on the Military Camp had taken place over 20 minutes prior to the killing of the seven civilians. There is absolutely no connection between the attack on the Military Camp and the seven civilians that were killed,” said the TNA. “In fact all seven civilians had been at a bar in Nelliyadi and were on their way to a private party for which they had to cross a Police Station and a Military Camp when they were targeted.”
The seven youth, travelling near Nelliyadi junction in Vadamaradchi, Jaffna, were killed when SLA troops fired rockets at the auto rickshaws in which they were travelling. The attack took place in a lane near the SLA Intelligence Camp in Navindil, 300 meters from Nelliyadi junction.
Military officials claimed the men were shot dead by security forces when they tried to attack a military sentry point at Nelliyadi in the Jaffna peninsula. Other military officials said the youths lobbed grenades into a nearby paramilitary camp near an SLA checkpoint.
However, Tamil parliamentarians and press reports said the youths, aged between 17 and 22, had been on their way to attend a birthday party in two rickshaws.
They claim the youths were fired at after a grenade attack behind the Intelligence camp in which three SLA personnel, including an officer, were wounded.
SLA soldiers used Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launchers, killing all of them on the spot. Following the incident, the security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area.
The youths were all from Rajakiramam, a village 500 meters south of Nelliyadi, which had already been tense after the shootings of 2 auto rickshaw drivers earlier. The situation was further intensified when Sri Lankan troops at the Intelligence camp and policemen threatened the parents to provide statement that the youths were LTTE cadres.
The government’s version was slightly different to that in the Tamil media.
Military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe said seven LTTE cadres armed with hand grenades arrived in two three-wheelers and launched an attack on the two soldiers at the military checkpoint near the filling station at Nelliyadi and fled the scene.
However, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in a statement rejected this version of events, pointing out that the youths were in a bar at the time off the attack on the SLA camp.
“The grenade attack on the Military Camp had taken place over 20 minutes prior to the killing of the seven civilians. There is absolutely no connection between the attack on the Military Camp and the seven civilians that were killed,” said the TNA. “In fact all seven civilians had been at a bar in Nelliyadi and were on their way to a private party for which they had to cross a Police Station and a Military Camp when they were targeted.”
