2 SLA soldiers shot dead in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 July 2008, 13:10 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot dead two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in two separate attacks Friday night in Madaththadi and Vempiraai residential areas in Chaavakachcheri in Thenmaraadchi around 7:00 p.m and 7:30 p.m. The attacks were made during power cut on a SLA road patrol unit and a SLA camp. Sri Lanka Defence Department has confirmed the deaths of the two SLA soldiers.

SLA conducted a large scale cordon and search in these areas Saturday and Sunday from early morning till evening.

Owners of the houses near the places from where the attackers had opened fire were beaten and their houses destructed during the cordon and search, residents of the area said.

The National Identity Cards of some persons were confiscated during the search and they were ordered to appear for interrogation at the local SLA camp.

Any one being arrested in the cordon and search is not known.

SLA has stepped up road checks, sudden checks and cordon and searches in Thenmaraadchi after these attacks.

The attacks on SLA in interior Thenmaraadchi take place while attacks on SLA continue in Front Defence Line (FDL)areas of Thenmaraadchi.