Barrage on Pallai, claymore blast in Mannar

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 May 2001, 14:06 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army launched a barrage on Thambakaamam and Periyapalai in the southern sector of Jaffna which is under the control of the Liberation Tigers from Thursday night sources in the north said. The SLA sustained the barrage with heavy artillery from 8 a.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday morning. Meanwhile, two Special Task Force commandos were wounded when the vehicle in which they were travelling was hit by a claymore mine blast in Thoattaveli, 10 kilometres west of Mannar on the main road to Talaimannar Friday afternoon around 3.30 p.m.

The vehicle was severely damaged in the blast and four commandos who were also in the vehicle received minor injuries, Police sources in Mannar said.

Three youth from the area were arrested by the STF during a search operation following the blast.