EPDP vehicle hits civilian auto-rickshaw in Jaffna, five wounded

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 December 2005, 15:28 GMT]
Five civilians including women were severely wounded when a speeding pickup-vehicle belonging to the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) collided with an auto-trishaw at 5:20 p.m. Friday at Pannai bridge which links Jaffna mainland with islets. Tension escalated when villagers shouting against the EPDP cadres were attacked by the Sri Lanka Army soldiers and policemen escorting the EPDP vehicle, civilian sources in Navanthurai said.

The injured civilians have been admitted to Jaffna Teaching Hospital, medical sources said.

The wounded passengers in the auto-rickshaw, from Navanthurai, a coastal suburb of Jaffna town, were on their way to a funeral home when the pickup vehicle of the EPDP hit their vehicle.

EPDP is a paramilitary group and political party. The anti-LTTE group's cadres collaborate with the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) intelligence in the SLA controlled areas and Colombo.