"White Van Squad" terrorise devotees in batticaloa temple

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 September 2006, 10:47 GMT]
Armed men arriving in a "White Van" opened indiscriminate fire Tuesday around 8:30 p.m. on devotees worshipping in the Periya Kallaru Kali Hindu temple in Batticaloa on the final day festival, injuring two boys who were rushed to Kallaru hospital for emergency treatment.

The injured boys were identified as Piyasena Rosanthan, 16, and Thuraisingam Sathees, 15, both from Bar Road, Thuraineelavanai, in Batticaloa, said Kalawanchchikudy police.

The "White Van Squad" armed men fired aiming at certain youths among the hundreds of devotees taking part in the religious ceremony causing the people to scatter in panic, said eyewitnesses.

Devotees from Batticaloa town, Kallaru, Kalmunai, Pandirupu, Kalawanchchikudy and many other places in the Batticaloa district had come in large numbers to the temple to participate in the water cutting ceremony on Tuesday, which due to the firings was performed later on Wednesday.

The armed assailants searched in and around the temple even entering the innermost holy shrine of the temple looking for youths from the area.