Kalmunai Muslims protest police killings

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 July 2001, 08:29 GMT]
Two Muslim youths were shot dead by Sri Lankan policemen in Kalmunai in the south eastern district of Ampara, around 6.30 p.m. Friday. Sources said the police fired at random after one of their colleagues was shot and wounded by unidentified gunmen. Meanwhile a hartal is being observed in Kalmunai town and its suburbs protesting at the killings.

Shops remained closed Saturday in Kalmunai, Kalmunaikudi, Sammanthurai and Maalikaikkadhu. Angry protestors took to the streets shouting slogans, and stoned several police posts in the town, sources said.

The Police fired in the air to disperse the crowd, the sources said.

Police reinforcement have rushed to the area.

The Muslim youths who were killed by the police fire were identified as: Abubakkar Niyas, 19 and Mohammed Haniffa Nazeer, 18.