3RD LEAD

Colombo Tamil daily bombed, one dead, three injured

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 August 2005, 13:22 GMT]
Unidentified attackers lobbed two grenades into the printing office of the Colombo Tamil daily Sudar Oli around 6:15 p.m. Monday. A security guard, Mr. David Selvaratnam,50, who was injured in the attack, succumbed to his woundsd at Colombo Hospital. A proof reader, a computer operator and a visitor from Deepam TV were also injured in the attack. The attackers sped away soon after they lobbed the grenades into the Sudaroli printing office located on Madampitiya Road at. Grandpass in Colombo.

Mr. Manickam Kamalanathan, 49, a proof-reader, was injured in the attack.

Another employee, a computer operator, Mr. Subramaniyam Suthas, 29, and Mr. A.M.F Anas, an employee from Deepam TV, who was visiting the office at the time of the attack, also sustained minor injuries, Sudaroli officials said.

The editorial staff working in the office at the time of attack escaped unhurt, sources said.

The security post of the office was severely damaged. Windows of the office and the stationeries inside the building are also damaged.

A van and a car in the vicinity were also damaged.

An eyewitness said that the attackers were riding in a white van. But, another eyewitness claimed that the attackers escaped from the scene in a motorbike.

Two weeks ago, unidentified men lobbed two grenades into the branch office of the Sudaroli in Wellawatte. The grenades did not explode. Later, the police removed those grenades and defused them at a beach fron in Wellawatte.

In another incident, a photojournalist of the paper, Mr. Yathurshan Premachandran was severely assaulted by a group of Janath Vimukthi Peramuna(JVP) supporters when the journalist went to cover the JVP's demonstration at the Colombo Fort railway premises.

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