Grenade attack in Point Pedro

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 January 2006, 13:01 GMT]
Unknown assailants riding a motorbike hurled a grenade at the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) checkpoint in Navalady in Alvai, Point-Pedro at 1.15 p.m. Saturday, sources said. Unconfirmed reports said two SLA soldiers were injured in the attack. SLA sources did not confirm any injuries in the explosion. During the indiscriminate firing by the SLA troops following the attack, Sivaraja Jesipan, 13, a school boy walking close to the sentry, was seriously injured, sources said.

With gunshot injuries to his head, Jesipan was initially rushed to the Point Pedro Government Hospital in Manthikai and later transferred to Jaffna Teaching Hospital, medical sources said. His condition remains serious, sources added.

Jesipan is a student at the Velautham Maha Vidyalayam in Point Pedro.

Meanwhile, sources in Jaffna said, incidents of SLA troopers desecrating memorials of LTTE cadres have escalated. Kittu Poonga (Kittu park), which is located at Muththirai Santhi in Nallur in Jaffna town, and Malathy memorial in Kopay were damaged by the SLA soldiers in recent weeks.