2ND LEAD (Correction, Update)

Attacks on Sri Lankan forces escalate in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 April 2006, 09:22 GMT]
Three claymore attacks targetting Sri Lankan forces were reported Thursday morning in Batticaloa. Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were wounded in one attack in Urani where a claymore mine was fixed to a boat, Police said.

A claymore attack at Koddaikallar, 28 km southeast and Puthukudiyiruppu, aimed at a road clearing patrol of 15 Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) troopers, missed it's target, police said. The attack was reported at 8:00 a.m. The Batticaloa - Kalmunai Road remained blocked for more than an hour following the attack.

Travellers were beaten up by the STF troopers and the policemen, civilian sources said.

Another claymore attack targetted a road patrol of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers at Puthukudiyiruppu, 11 km southeast of Batticaloa town, around 9:30 a.m. No casualties were reported in Puthukudiyiruppu claymore incident.

Two SLA soldiers were injured in the third attack at Urani, 3 km northwest of Batticaloa town. A SLA lorry that left Batticaloa at 11:00 a.m. and heading towards Polonnaruwa, was damaged in the blast, police said.