Paramilitary cadre killed, associate abducted

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 April 2005, 18:33 GMT]
A cadre of the paramilitary ‘Karuna Group’ was killed and his Singhalese colleague was abducted by gunmen in Karapola, an interior Tamil village in Polannaruwa district close to Batticaloa border, around 4.30 p.m. Monday. Police sources in the area said that the gunmen had fired on the victims who were in a house in Karapola. The Karuna Group cadre, who was seriously injured, died on admission to the Polannaruwa Base Hospital, according to Police.

The dead paramilitary cadre was identified as Mr. Sellathurai Kopalkumar, 22. His Singhalese colleague is Mr. W. Ranatunga, according to Police.

Police said the gunmen who abducted Mr. Ranatunga got away before they could arrive at the scene of the incident.