News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 March 1999, 17:06 GMT]
LTTE member reported killed in an ambush by Razeek group cadres in eastern Batticaloa this afternoon and students at the Hardy Institute for Technical Education near Ampara have been arrested for ragging a new student.

LTTE casualty in Razeek group ambush

A special forces Sri Lankan Army (SLA) unit of the Razeek group in Batticaloa claimed that it had ambushed and killed a Liberation Tiger at Mahiladitheevu junction around 2.30 p.m. this afternoon.

The special unit of the Razeek group had set out earlier in the day from the Vavunathivu SLA camp, 6 kilometres south-west of Batticaloa town, on the coast of the hinterland, west of the lagoon.

They had penetrated about five kilometres into LTTE territory and had lain in ambush at the Mahiladitheevu junction.

Razeek group sources claimed that they had recovered 2 grenades, a bayonet and some documents from the Liberation Tiger whom they had ambushed and killed.

Razeek group sources further said that the LTTE member whom they had shot has been identified as Siva and that they have asked the ICRC to hand over his body to the LTTE.

The ICRC is to meet the LTTE tomorrow and the body will be handed over once it has been confirmed that the body does in fact belong to an LTTE cadre.

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Students arrested for ragging

Six girls studying at the Hardy Institute for Technical Education near Ampara town were arrested and detained by the Sri Lankan Police this afternoon after a new pupil who was ragged by them earlier in the day was admitted to hospital unconscious.

Police sources said that the Hardy Institute was closed until further notice around noon today following the incident. They said that the new student, Sarojini Nilanthi Sumanasekera, 23 , had been ragged by her six seniors inhumanly.

The girl had not regained consciousness until late this afternoon.

The Police in Ampara town said that the six girls would be produced in court after a statement has been obtained from Nilanthi, once she regains consciousness.