Violence continues in Northeast

 

 

Four people, including a toddler, were killed and one seriously injured when unidentified armed men opened fire at them Sunday afternoon in a house located along Ambal Road in Anpuvallipuram, a suburb located about three km off south west of Army-controlled Trincomalee town. Gunmen came in a van, entered the house and started firing at the inmates who were watching television. Jeyaratnam Pratheepan, 23, and two year old Usharanee child were killed on the spot. Two others succumbed to their wounds later. Usharanee’s mother is in intensive care.

 

A soldier of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), a Sinhala home guard and two civilians were injured in a claymore mine explosion that took place Sunday around 7.30 a.m. at Thampalakamam, a village located along Trincomalee Kandy highway about 24 km off southwest of east port town. Police said that the claymore mine was kept on roadside targeting security personnel who had been engaged in road patrol.

 

SLA soldiers shot dead a father of four, Saturday evening at Nasivanthivu, Valaichenai, 30 km northwest of Batticaloa town. The body of Murukesu Sivarasa, 30, was taken to Valaichenai hospital. Police claimed that the victim had launched an ambush on SLA patrol with a T-56 automatic rifle and a hand grenade.

 

An employee of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) was killed and two others injured when gunmen fired at their vehicle at Alukkai in Allaveddi, 11 km north of Jaffna town, around 8 p.m. Saturday. The vehicle was hit about 200 metres from an SLA check post at Alukkai. The attack occured during the SLA-imposed curfew. CEB staff have special curfew passes issued by SLA. Linganathan, 54, a father of three from Erlalai and was killed. The driver of the vehicle, Lawrence, 50, of Mallakam and Kengatharan, 45, were injured.

 

 

See separate story on the killings in Jaffna during the 24 hours before 6 p.m. Friday.

 

Gunmen shot a driver in front of his house in Morakkoddanchenai, Eravur on Friday evening. Thavarajah Thavesarajah, 25, a father of two, succumbed to his wounds in Batticaloa hospital Friday midnight. He was a driver with an American Mission training facility located in Urany near Batticaloa town. The victim was talking to his wife outside his house in Thevapuram village in Morakkoddanchenai, 21 km northwest of Batticaloa, when the gunmen fired at him with a T-56 automatic rifle, villagers said.

 

Unidentified gunmen Friday morning shot dead a member of the Karuna paramilitary group at Chenkalady near Kommathurai SLA camp in Eravur police division in Batticaloa district. Samithambi Thirumal, 28, succumbed to injuries at the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital. Chenkalady is about 14 km north of Batticaloa town.

 

There were several other killings reported Friday in Jaffna, Trincomalee, and Vavuniya, but details were not available.

 

 

A church located in Santhipuram 100 Housing Project in Mannar was burnt down by unknown arsonists Thursday night around 11.30 p.m. A complaint has been lodged with Mannar Police. Residents of area took immediate steps to douse the fire but failed in their attempt. Several thousand rupees worth goods and properties of the church had been destroyed in the incident.

 

The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Thursday evening arrested seventy members of seventeen Tamil families from Trincomalee district when they were waiting for fishing boats along the coast of Talaimannar to flee to South India. The SLN also arrested two boatmen who were to take the refugees. The 24 men, 19 women and 27 children in the arrested group were handed over to Talaimannar Police for inquiry.

 

Suspected Army-backed paramilitaries shot dead a Tamil man Thursday night. at Karuwakerni in Valaichchenaipolice division in Batticaloa district. Niranjan Vasantharajah, 28, a father of two children, was called out from his house located along Anna Road by five persons suspected to be members of Karuna paramilitary group. They shot him when he came to the main gate of the compound. He had been working in the Valaichchenai office of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) for about 10 years on contract basis. Karuwakerni is 30 km off north of Batticaloa town.

 

Three young men from Kondavil East, Jaffna have been missing since Thursday morning, relatives of the missing men told the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (HRC) office in Jaffna. Kondavil is located about 8 km north of Jaffna town. Thangarupan Jeeva, 23, and Thevarajah Nitharsan, 17, masons by profession were on their way to work, after curfew was relaxed, when they were abducted. Separately, a 17-year old boy was abducted when he went out Thursday morning to buy provisions. All three were abducted from Sebastian Church road, according to complaints made with the HRC.

 

A young man was shot dead by unidentified gunmen near Malu junction in Nelliyadi in Vadamaradchi, around 8:30 a.m., Thursday. Satchithanantham Sasitharan, 25, of Alvai South, was working in a fuel station.

 

Two bodies in highly decomposed stage were found under a bridge in Velanai, islet off Jaffna town, police in Kayts said. They are believed to be of young men who were reported “missing” to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) in Jaffna last week. The bodies have not yet been identified.

 

Two members of a paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) were shot and wounded at Kurumankadu area in Vavuniya by suspected LTTE cadres. The injured EPDP cadres, Francis Jeganathan and Velumyulm Sritharan, were first admitted to the Vavuniya general hospital and later transferred to Anuradhapura hospital. The shooting occurred to the rear of the EPDP office in Kurumankadu, Vavuniya.

 

Three more youths were abducted and killed by unidentified persons in Army-controlled Vavuniya, Thursday morning. The bodies of two youths who were abducted Wednesday evening were found with their hands tied and blindfolded at Thavasikulam. A third youth was found with gun shot injuries at the same spot. He succumbed to his injuries while being taken to Vavuniya hospital, police said.

 

 

A Tamil youth was found shot dead at Kurumankadu, a suburb of Vavuniya, Wednesday evening, police said. He is yet to be identified.

 

Two other youths were shot dead at Semankulam, Vavuniya, by unidentified persons. One of them is also yet to be identified.

 

SLA soldiers on a foot patrol shot a youth who allegedly attempted to run away having thrown a hand grenade on them in Vinayagapuram in the Valaichchenai Police area in Batticaloa district, around 1.30 p.m. Vinayagamoorthy Kunarathnamoorthy, 21, of Kalmadu Road, Vinayagapuram, swallowed cyanide and died to avoid being arrested by soldiers, the Army claimed. His body was handed over to the Valaichchenai District Hospital for post- mortem.

 

Ilankovan Kandeepan, 26, owner of a welding shop along the Uduppiddy- Vathiri Road, was shot dead around 12 noon Wednesday while he was on his way to his home at Kombu. According to eyewitnesses, Kandeepan was chased by 4 armed men ridding in two motorbikes, along Uduppiddy – Vathiri road. He was later shot dead as he attempted to run in to a house to escape from the attackers.

 

An SLA soldier was seriously injured when a water tanker he was driving was hit by a claymore mine blast at Rasenthirakulam in Vavuniya, Wednesday afternoon. The incident occured along Nellukulam - Cheddikulam Road, police said. The injured soldier was admitted to military hospital and later tranfered to Anuradhapura hospital.

 

The body of a young man in his early 20’s was found with stab injuries in Samankulam in Vavuniya, Wednesday morning. The victim's head had been burnt beyond recognition, police said. The body was handed over to the General Hospital.

 

17 civilians, including one woman, were wounded, four seriously, when an attacker lobbed a grenade into a chicken meat shop in Vavuniya town Wednesday around 10:50 a.m., Vavuniya Police said. Paramilitary cadres working with Sri Lanka military have been targeting traders and shop owners who refuse to pay ransom of cash.

 

A young man and his 2-year old child were shot dead by gunmen in white van while they were standing outside their house in Aathikkovilady in Valvettithurai, in the Vadamaradchi sector of the Jaffna peninsula. The killings occurred at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Sivapirakasam Thayaparan,28, died on the spot. His 2-year old daughter, Thayaparan Thayajothi sucummed to her injuries while being taken to Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

 

A women who was abducted from her home in Aanaikottai by unidentified gunmen in white van on Sunday was released, Tuesday, her parents informed the Human Rights Commission (HRC) office in Jaffna. The woman was released from a SLA camp in Anaikottai area. However, her parents have refused to reveal further details to media. The HRC has been informed about the release and the complaint has been withdrawn, an official said.

 

Meanwhile, at least three more persons have been reported abducted in the northern Jaffna peninsula, but details were not made available to media.

 

 

 

A young man was shot dead by unidentified persons in Manipuram in Vavuniya, Tuesday evening. The police said the victim, Sasikaran, 22, was a LTTE member.

 

Two policemen attached to the Kaluwanchchikkudy Police Station were shot dead by unidentified gunmen while they were traveling with two other colleagues in a passenger bus to Batticaloa. The attack occurred at around 10.30 a.m. at Cheddipalayam. Constables W M. Vijayarathna, 35 and M. Ramanathan, 38 were rushed to the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital but succumbed to their injuries. Police alleged that LTTE cadres had waylaid the bus and fired at the Policemen who were on a private visit to Batticaloa. Cheddipalayam is 17 km off south of Batticaloa town.

 

Three policemen and three civilians were injured when a claymore mine exploded along the Central Road in Trincomalee town on Tuesday around 11.30 a.m. The mine had been detonated targeting a police jeep. Tension prevailed in the area and all business establishments were closed. Sri Lankan troops and police rushed to the site and stopped all traffic and civilian movement along the road. A cordon and search operation was carried out.

 

Unidentified gunmen killed a 35 year-old farmer, father of two, Monday night around 8.30 p.m. in his residence located along Moonkilady Road in Vantharumoolai village in Eravur police division in Batticaloa district. Nagappan Sathyan was working as a tractor-driver. Unidentified men had forcibly entered the victim's house and fired at him when he did not open the front doors when called out. His body was handed over to his relatives after post-mortem at Eravur hospital. Vantharumoolai is 15 km off north of Batticaloa town.

 

 

 

The bullet-ridden body of young man with his face mutilated beyond recognition was found at Theater Lane in Inuvil in Jaffna, Monday morning. The youth is believed to have been abducted from his home by unidentified men in an unmarked white van Sunday evening, neighbours said. The 30 year old victim had been severely beaten before he was shot dead. The body was taken to the Jaffna Teaching hospital morgue.

 

Separately, Mylvaganam Sasitharan, 24, of Thunnalai South was shot dead by two unidentified men on a motorcycle at Mareesan junction on Jaffna-Point Pedro Road near Nelliday in Vadamaradchy, around 9:30 a.m. Monday.

 

In another incident at the same location, Kiddinar Uthayakumar, 24, was shot and seriously injured, also by two unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle.

 

Two men, Vinayagamoorthy Anantharajah, 32, and Sampasivam Vimalasangari, 24, have been reported missing in Udupiddy, Jaffna since Monday evening.

 

A member of the Karuna paramilitary group fired at another cadre seriously wounding him after an argument near Alankulam in Vaharai division in Batticaloa district on Sunday night around 9.30 p.m. The injured cadre P.Sinnan, 28, of Mankerni was admitted to Pollonaruwa hospital, Valaichchenai Police said. The Karuna group has an office located close to Mankerni SLA camp.

 

 

 

See separate story on the killings in Jaffna during the 24 hours before 6 p.m. Saturday.

 

Sivasingam Sasiharan, 24, traveling in a bicycle from home was shot dead by unidentified gunmen near Manthuvil tempel in Thenmarachchi area of Jaffna, at 6.30 p.m., Sunday.

 

Two fishermen were reported ‘missing’ in the Vadamaradchi, to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) in Jaffna. The fishermen, Anton Selvaratnam, 24, and Sebaratnam Anthony Arulthas, 24, both of Munai Light house area in Point Pedro were last seen while they were being interrogated by Sri Lanka Army soldiers at a check post, according to eyewitnesses.

 

The body of a young man found in Vakaravaththai area in Valikamam East in Putur North, has been identified as of Ariyaratnam Sylvester , 33, of Aathisoody road, Kantharmadam in Jaffna. A complaint was lodged Sunday morning at Human Rights Commission about his disappearance. His body, found with stab wounds and gun-shot injuries, was later identified at the mortuary of Jaffna Teaching hospital.

 

The body of Sivalingam Suthaharan,23, who was abducted Saturday from his home in Sankaanai, was found Sunday morning at Vaddukoddai, Jaffna.

 

Unidentified men shot dead a Tamil civilian Sunday around 2 a.m. along Nanattan-Vankalai road in Mannar when he was going for work. 38 year old Thiruchelvam Sebastian, father of two children, was a resident of Naruvalikulam in the Murunkan Police division.

 

Three Sri Lanka soldiers were killed and two injured in a claymore attack at Aasikulam in Vavuniya, around 10:45 a.m. Sunday. The attack targeted a SLA patrol along Mylankulam road. The injured soldiers were taken to Vavuniya military hospital and later transferred to Anurdhapura.

 

 

Sri Lankan police lying in ambush shot and killed 2 members of the LTTE at Karuwakkerny Vikneswara Vidyalayam in Valaichenai, about 30 km. north of Batticaloa, around 8 p.m., Saturday. The Police said they have recovered 2 pistols, 2 hand grenades and 2 cyanide capsules. The police handed over the bodies to Valaichenai hospital. The cadres were identified as Sutha and Viji.

 

Twelve youths were arrested and detained on suspicion by Kandy police during a cordon and search operation Thursday afternoon. The police said 10 of the youths were Tamils and the other two were Sinhalese. The arrested Tamil youths are natives of Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Vavuniya and Madulgalla. Kandy police said that the youths are being questioned and investigations into their activities are continuing. No details were provided.

 

A Sri Lankan soldier and a video shop owner were killed and a soldier and 3 civilians injured in a claymore mine explosion that targeted a SLA road patrol in Chenkalady, 13 km northwest of Batticaloa Friday around 12:15 p.m. The mine was fixed to a roadside wall, between the Chenkalady branch of the Bank of Ceylon and Sellam Cinemas. The soldiers were from the Kommathurai Army camp. The shop owner, Sivalingam Santhirasegaran, 36, from Rameshpuram, Chenkalady, died at the Batticaloa Teaching hospital.

 

 

Four students and a policeman were injured when a three-wheeler exploded Friday around 6.55 a.m. at Kulumaattu junction in Vavuniya. The explosion took place when policemen were recovering the body of a homeguard from a hijacked three-wheeler. Unknown attackers had abducted two home guards Thursday at Pandarikulam in Vavuniya. One was killed and his body was lying inside the three-wheeler, belonging to a Sinhala resident of Mamaduva, that had been hijacked on Wednesday by some unidentified men. The other, who escaped with injuries, sought refuge in the nearby police check point and tipped the police of the three-wheeler. He was admitted to the Vavuniya hospital. Police rushed to the site and on inspection found a parcel and the dead body. An explosion took place while the policemen were inspecting the vehicle.

 

Eight civilians including Tamils and Muslims were arrested at Ikkirigollawa village in Anuradhapura district in the North Central Province in a seven hour combined cordon and search operation by the Sri Lanka Army, Police and home guards conducted on Friday morning from 5 a.m. till noon. The first search operation in this Muslim village was held on Monday following a claymore explosion. In that operation four Tamils including a woman were arrested for investigation. All buses and other vehicles going through this village were stopped and passengers checked during the search operation.

 

 

See separate story on the killings in Jaffna on Thursday.

 

 

A Sri Lanka policeman was injured when unidentified men fired at the policeman Wednesday evening around 6.15 p.m. at Uppukulam in Mannar town. The injured constable was identified as Upali Bandara, a member of the Police Intelligence Unit. A Tamil civilian, 29 year old Gabriel Charles of Siruthoppu was injured when additional troops rushed to the site and opened fire. The injured constable was taken to Anuradhapura hospital by ambulance the same day around 7 p.m. The injured Tamil youth was admitted to the Mannar general hospital. Mannar Police took him into custody in connection with the shooting.

 

Two brothers from Eravur, who left for fishing Wednesday afternoon were found shot dead along the Savukkady coast by Eravur police Thursday and their bodies were recovered Friday morning. The bodies of Parthipan Ananthan, 28 father of two and his brother Parthian Thavaseelan, 16 were found with gunshot injuries.The two brothers had left their residence as usual on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. They were out in the sea in their boat. Unidentified men in another boat had abducted the two brothers, civilians said.

 

Gunmen riding in a white van without a number plate separately shot dead two civilians in Jaffna Wednesday. A civilian shopping at a grocery in Thirunelvely and a young man who owns a video shop on Adiyapatham lane in the same area were the victims. Two civilians were seriously wounded, one in each incident, and rushed to Jaffna hospital. At 7.30 a.m. gunmen shot dead Satkunarajah Suganthan, 22, of Nallur Kovil Road, Thirunelvely, while he was shopping at Thalankavil Pillayar Kovil Road within the Jaffna Municipal limits. An old woman, who was also buying things at the shop, was injured and admitted to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital in a serious condition for treatment. Around 9 a.m., 300 meters away, another youth, Sivarasa Sivasekaran, 22, a video shop owner was shot by the same persons travelling in the white van while he was opening his shop for the day. Having seen him struggling with injuries, the attackers reversed their vehicle and sprayed him with bullets to finish him off.

 

A civilian, S. Puvanenthiran, 55, from Meesalai- Urumparai area, who was cycling to the market, was shot by unidentified persons and later admitted to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital for treatment.

 

 

Two Tamils said to be supporters of paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) were shot dead Tuesday night between 8 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. in Valaichchenai area in Batticaloa district. A message saying "death for traitors," was written in posters signed by Ellalan Brigade found near the bodies. One of the dead was Nallathamby Poopalaratnam, 48, was the President of Peithalai fisheries society. It was alleged he had been supplying news and other information to the EPDP run radio programme "Ithayaveenai" from Colombo. Two Tamil persons said to be supporters of para military Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) were shot dead Tuesday night between 8 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. in Valaichchenai area in Batticaloa district. A message saying "death for traitors," was written in posters signed by Ellalan Brigade found near the bodies, sources said. Kanapathipillai Rangan alias Sathyakumar, a resident of Murugan Kovil Road, Peithalai was also shot dead the same day for allegedly providing information to EPDP.