Relatives of SLMC official killed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 December 1999, 09:49 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a mother and her daughter at Mallikaikadu in the south-eastern Ampara District, in the early hours of the morning Thursday police sources said. Residents said local politics were involved in this attack.

Asia Umma, 45, is elder sister of A.L.Abdul Majeed, the propaganda secretary of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) for the area, which supported President Chandrika Kumaratunga in the presidential elections held on Tuesday.

A.L. Abdul Majeed had earlier made several complaints to the police that he had been threatened by supporters of another political party.

Police said today around 3.30 a.m., the gunmen entered the house of Asia Umma, in search of searched A.L.Abdul Majeed.

They shot the mother and the daughter, who were asleep, when they failed to find the SLMC politician in the house.

Asiaumma and her daughter Benazir,14, succumbed to injuries before being taken to the Kalmunai hospital, residents said.

The village was under curfew when the murders took place. Tension prevails in Mallikaikadu and its suburbs following this incident.

Mallikaikadu village is in the Sammanthurai poise division. The adjoining village is Karativu.