SLA captain wounded in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 August 1998, 13:07 GMT]
Captain Wickramaratne of the Sri Lanka Army's (SLA) Armoured Corps and ADC to Major General Neil Dias, was shot and severely wounded at Bambalapitiya, in the heart of Colombo, around 4:30 p.m. today, said sources in Colombo, when contacted by TamilNet's European correspondent.

One of his two assailants, who police claim are members of the LTTE, who tried to get away was caught by public at Kirulapone, a suburb of Colombo, while the other escaped.

Captain Wickrmaratne was rushed for emergency surgery. Though nine bullets were dischared, not all struck Capt. Wickramaratne.

He is admitted to the Accident Services of the Colombo National Hospital.

The Captain was seated in the passenger seat when a man on bicycle opened fire at him as his jeep slowed down at a traffic signal.

Nine rounds were pumped into Captain Wickramaratne from a pistol, say police sources.

The man on the bicycle sped away, while his accomplice got into a three wheeler, say sources.

The suspected who got into the three wheeler was followed by a civilian in another three wheeler and when he (the suspect) got down at Kirulapane, the civilian alerted the crowd which pounced on him and caught him unawares.

The man had grenades and a cyanide capsule which he could not consume.

Stringent checks are being conducted to catch the man who escaped on a bicycle.