LTTE shells SLA convoy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 May 1999, 12:04 GMT]
A Special Task Forces commando soldier was wounded when the Liberation Tigers ambushed a STF foot-patrol at Sorikkal Munai, 2 km. south of Samanthurai, in the south-eastern Ampara district, last night.

He has been transferred to the Badulla hospital. Police sources said one LTTE member was killed when the STF retaliated.

Meanwhile the Liberation Tigers fired shells at a Sri Lankan Army convoy at Santhiveli, 25 km. north of Batticaloa, around 4.30 p.m. last evening. However, the shells did not hit the convoy. The convoy was on its way from Polannaruwa to Batticaloa.

Sources said a civilian, Sukkuru Iyaththurai,50, was wounded when one of the shells hit his house. He has been admitted at the Eravur hospital.

According to local residents, the Tigers fired 3 shells from their positions in the western hinterland, across the lagoon. Two of them exploded, one of them at the Santhiveli SLA camp entrance.

The SLA operates convoys between Polannaruwa-Batticaloa 3 days a week, mainly to bring the soldiers stationed in the war-area to their home towns and to send new troops to front.