Ten civilians wounded in Vavuniya blast

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 July 2000, 15:39 GMT]
Three persons were killed and ten were wounded in an explosion inside a 'video-theatre' in Thonikkal, a suburb of Vavuniya town around 5.30 p.m Friday. Two children were among those killed in the explosion. Police said that the explosion was caused by a grenade. Two persons who were seen running away from the scene of the explosion were killed by a Police patrol who had gone to the video theatre minutes before the blast.

Three Policeman on patrol who went to borrow a bicycle pump from the 'video theatre' this afternoon had seen a person going inside the structure upon seeing them approach. Minutes later, one of the patrol, according to the Police, had seen the person pulling the clip of a grenade. This was followed by the blast, claimed an investigator.

However, the Police said that two of the persons killed were shot while trying to run away from the scene of the explosion. "The picture is not yet clear" said an investigator.