Children killed, hurt in firing

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 August 1999, 09:27 GMT]
A two year old child was killed, two other children, two members of TELO and a Policeman were wounded in a shooting incident which followed after a grenade was lobbed at the Policemen on guard at the Police point at Veppankulam refugee camp transformer this morning around 5.30 said sources. Veppankulam is about 3 miles west of Vavuniya along Vavuniya - Mannar road.

The grenade attack on the post had wounded a Policeman, and when the police opened fire to repulse a possible attack, the 2 year old child was killed.

Rasalingam Jenniffa (10) and Kuruparan Nimalan (14) were wounded, sources said.

During the subsequent search operation by the STF from the Veppankulam detachment, the TELO camp which is at Ukkulaankulam about one km south of the police post, was attacked, with two members of the paramilitary group being wounded.

The TELO blamed the Sri Lankan military for the attack, which had set the camp ablaze.

Residents in the area said that they saw STF troops surrounding the camp and heard shooting and later saw smoke rising from the camp.

The wounded TELO cadres, identified as Indran and Nimalan, had been admitted to Vavuniya hospital along with the other two injured children and the Police sources said.

When contacted, Selvam Adaikalanaathan the Member of Parliament for Vanni district and the leader of TELO said that his group's cadres were unable to go to the Ukkulaankulam camp from Vavuniya as the situation was tense.

He further said that the area leaders of his party in Vavuniya were in touch with the SLA high command to obtain permission to move to the area.

Residents further said that Ukkulankulam, Veppankulam and part of Pandaarikulam areas are rounded up by the troops and the STF today. A search operation is now on in these areas, Police said.