2ND LEAD (UPDATE)

Fifty passengers escape Claymore blast in Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 May 2006, 14:48 GMT]
A bus carrying around 50 passengers from Puliyankulam northwards in LTTE controlled area in Periyakulam in Vavuniya North narrowly escaped a Claymore blast around 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, Tamileelam Police sources in Kilinochchi said. Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is blamed for targeting civilian passengers in LTTE controlled areas recently.

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) has been notified on the incident, LTTE sources said.

The Claymore mine missed the target as it had slipped, likely due to rainy weather, and the impact of the explosion was directed towards the ground, according to Crime Detection Officer at Mankulam Tamileelam Police. The attackers had exploded the anti-personnel mine from a 200 meters distance. The casualties would have been high if the bus had received the full blast of the explosion, the police sources said.

Road clearing patrols along the A9 highway have been increased following the Claymore explosions, Tamileelam Police said.

A 50-year old woman farmer was killed and two others, including a 50-year old woman and a 60-year old man, were wounded when soldiers from Iranai Iluppaikulam fired at civilians who were returning with rice straw bundles from their fields Tuesday.