Eleven arrested during round up

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 September 1998, 23:14 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) arrested a youth who attempted to take cyanide during an extensive round up in the heart of Pt. Pedro town in Jaffna yesterday. Ten persons were arrested from the civilians who had been herded into the town centre after the youth was taken away.

The SLA launched a cordon and search operation in Pt. Pedro in the early hours of the morning yesterday. The round up included areas from the 4th cross street to Aththiyadi and bus depot.

More than 500 civilians were taken by the SLA to the town centre for interrogation.

SLA officers addressed the crowd later warning that the army would deal harshly with persons providing assistance to the Liberation Tigers who had infiltrated Pt.Pedro town, said sources

Following this, a hooded spotter was brought before the detained crowd by the SLA to identify LTTE suspects and sympathisers.

Sources who were present in the town centre yesterday said that the youth attempted to swallow cyanide as soon as the hooded army spotter had arrived on the scene.

The SLA apprehended the others following this they said.

Sources said that the SLA operation appears to have been planned on the basis of information about the presence of some LTTE activists and about persons in the town who were providing assistance to them.

Although the round up was called off about 3 p.m. in the afternoon, the town remained deserted for the rest of the day they said.