2ND LEAD

3 Sinhala traders knifed, injured in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 August 2010, 17:26 GMT]
A gang of eight men arriving on bicycles inflicted injuries with swords on three Sinhala traders Monday around 7:15 p.m. in Kokkuvil in Jaffna where they were selling furniture along Aadiyapaatham road, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna police rushed two seriously injured men to Jaffna Teaching Hospital. The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) officers who were at the place following the incident told news reporters that the attack was not based on Sinhala-Tamil ethnic rivalry. Meanwhile, unidentified persons had set fire to a shop of a Sinhala trader in the same area recently, the sources added.

The traders admitted to Jaffna Teaching Hospital are identified as A. Kamal, 27 and S. Sanjith, 17.

The third man with minor injuries was treated in a private hospital.

The three traders sold household furniture made in Moratuwa, famous for its carpentry in Sri Lanka.

The attackers had set fire to the furniture which was put out by the police and SLA soldiers who rushed to the place following the attack.

The attackers had escaped from the place before the police and SLA soldiers arrived at the scene.