News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 May 1999, 17:04 GMT]
Two LTTE casualties - VoT; Youths shot at while fishing & Two sisters arrested in Akkaraipattu.

Two LTTE casualties - VoT

The Voice of Tigers (VoT) Radio said in its morning news bulletin today that one LTTE member died in a confrontation with the Sri Lanka Army at Paranthan yesterday.

According to the radio, Vasuki also known as Malarvili, (Muttiah Wijeyaledchumi, Kandy) died in the confrontation that lasted for nearly two hours.

The radio also said another LTTE member, Thirumalaikumaran (Alagar Arulpiragash, Vavuniya), died in a confrontation with the SLA in Mankulam yesterday.

Meanwhile about 300 persons participated in a prayer-fast at Madhu church yesterday, demanding the withdrawal of the Sri Lanka Army from the church premises.

---

Youths Shot at while fishing

Two youths who were fishing in the Batticaloa lagoon, close to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) camp were admitted at the Batticaloa hospital yesterday with gunshot injuries.

The names of the injured youths are: Suntharam Rajmohan (27) of Navatkadu, Vavunathivu and Nesathurai Sureshkumar (23) of Thiruperunthurai.

According to hospital sources the wounded youths have said that the gunshots came from the direction of the SLAF camp,

The two went fishing in the lagoon with the permission of Airforce personnel. No one fishes in the lagoon without the permission of Airforce personnel at the base, said residents of the area.

---

Two Sisters Arrested in Akkaraipattu

Two young women were arrested by the Sri Lankan Police in the Alaiyadivembu-Sinnakulam area of the Akkaraipattu division in the eastern province, at around 4.30 p.m. yesterday evening said residents.

They have been identified as Selvapathy Kangeswary and her younger sister Selvapathy Kalaivani.

Kangeswary who is employed at the women's welfare centre was arrested from her home while her sister was arrested while at tuition.

A special police party came from Amparai to make the arrests on suspicion that the two sisters had gave food and other assistance to the Liberation Tigers.

The matter was brought to the notice of the Eelam People's Democratic Party's organiser in Karathivu, Mr.M.Sankar.