Ex-PLOTE cadre shot, injured in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 July 2006, 02:57 GMT]
A former member of Peoples Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) was shot and seriously injured by unknown gunmen in front of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital at 8:15 a.m. Saturday, sources in Jaffna said. Rasa Premkumar, 32, was immediately taken to the Jaffna Hopital and is undergoing emergecy surgery, hospital sources said.

Mr Premkumar is the third ex-militant who has been attacked near the same area in the past two months. Other two died in the atttacks.

The location where the shooting occurred lies inside the High Security Zone (HSZ) demarcated by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA). SLA sentry points are located to the the east and to the west, and a Sri Lanka Police station is located 200 meters from the site of shooting. SLA's 51-2 brigade head quarters is located behind the Jaffna Hospital.

Several SLA troopers have been brought to the Jaffna town to strengthen security around the hospital. A search operation is also taking place.

The gunmen used hand pistol at close range and escaped after firing at Premkumar, local witnesses said.