Two SLA soldiers injured in Kopay grenade attack

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 January 2006, 12:30 GMT]
Unknown gunmen riding in a motorbike hurled grenades at a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) foot patrol near the Sub office of Valigamam east Pradeshya sabha building along the Jaffna Point Pedro road in Kopay at 1.15 p.m. injuring two soldiers, sources in Jaffna said. Military sources said that the condition of one of the soldiers remains serious.

The injured soldiers have been moved to Palaly Military Hospital.

Soldiers fired at the assailants after the grenade attack but both of them escaped unhurt, sources said.

All vehicular traffic was suspended for mor than two hours following the attack, Kopay residents said.

SLA troops have cordoned off the area and are conduct searches.

Meanwhile, SLA soldiers are forcing the households between Kopay and Nallur along the Jaffna Point-Pedro road to fly white flags, residents said. Civil society sources said that since the widespread attacks on the army troopers are being blamed on citizen malitia in Jaffna, the SLA wants civilians to show they are not involved in the attacks by flying white flags.

Jaffna district magistrate Ms Srinithi Nanthisekaran told the press that SLA Commander in Jaffna Major General Chandrasiri had told her that the flags are being flown voluntarily by the residents and that SLA has not forced the households to fly the flags.