5TH LEAD

Three SLA soldiers injured in two attacks on Batticaloa Valaichenai road

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 September 2005, 11:43 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen attacked Sri Lanka Army soldiers in two different locations on Batticaloa Valaichenai highway around 5:30 p.m. Sunday. One SLA soldier was injured in the attack that took place at Kiran-Korakallimadu area north of Batticaloa and two SLA soldiers were injured in another attack, one kilometers away at Sithandy. The injured soldiers were airlifted to Polannaruwa hospital in critical condition, Police said. SLA soldiers started beating civilian travellers in Sithandy and Santhiveli, travellers said adding that all transport on the highway had come to a hault. Tension prevailed in the area following the attacks.

Unidentified gunmen lobbed grenades and fired at the vehicles used by the soldiers in both the attacks, Police said.

In the first incident, Mr. Jegath Kumara, 32, an SLA soldier, was seriously injured when the SLA convoy with a bus and a truck came under attack in Kiran-Korakallimadu area. The convoy was heading to Kumburumuanai from Valaichenai.

SLA soldiers opened fire at random following the attack. A lorry driver who tried to escape from the firing from the soldiers hit a light post and was injured in the incident. He was rushed to Eravur Hospital, sources said.

In the other incident, 3 SLA soldiers who were returning to their base after supplying tea to fellow soldiers came under attack. Unidentified gunmen lobbed a grenade at the soliders who were riding in a three-wheeler and shot at them. Two SLA soldiers, Mr. Anurudha Kumara and Mr. Gunathasa Warmey Guruge, 35, were seriously injured in the attack.

The three soldiers in critical state were airlifted to Polannaruwa hospital.

Angered SLA soldiers started to beat the travellers on the highway, civilian sources said.

SLA soldiers and the police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation following the attack, sources added.

Details on arrests made by SLA soldiers in the area is yet to emerge.