3RD LEAD

Gunmen kill 4 more civilians, islets terrorized

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 May 2006, 06:31 GMT]
Three civilians belonging to same family were massacred at their home in Puliyankoodal in Kayts by Sri Lanka Navy operated paramilitary gunmen, around 10:30 p.m. Saturday. A tea-shop owner was also found shot dead near Velanai junction. A petrol station was attacked. Meanwhile, armed men who came in a vehicle set fire to several shops and blasted a transformer at Puliyankoodal junction in Kayts, Saturday night, civilian sources said. Villagers blame Sri Lankan forces for the attacks in the Jaffna islets. On Saturday alone, 13 civilians have been killed in Sri Lanka Navy controlled Jaffna islets. EPDP paramilitary was in control of the Jaffna islets before the signing of CFA in 2002.

The victims were identified as Murugesu Shanmugalingam, 72, his wife, Shanmugalingam Parameswari, 65, and their son S.Kantharoopan, 29.

Shanmugalingam owns a telephone centre close to his house which was also blasted by the attackers, the sources said.

The attackers entered their house late in the night and fired indiscriminately, killing them on the spot.

Name of the victim at the tea-shop near Velanai juction, was not available at the moment.

8 civilians were killed, including a child, in Allaipiddy near Mandaithivu islet Saturday night. One of the wounded died at Jaffna Hospital.

The International Student Association complex where Jaffna parliamentarian Kajendran's office is located, was burnt down Friday night.

Newspaper office of Jaffna daily Uthayan was attacked and two newspaper workers were gunned down on May 02, 2006.