War zone school remains closed

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Karuvarkerni Vikneswara Viththiyalayam at Valaichenai, 30 km north of Batticaloa, has remained closed for the past two weeks because of the danger posed to school children by the intense military activity in the area.

The school which has repeatedly come under small arms fire and heavy mortar bombardment from nearby SLA camps which dot the strategic Valaichenai junction was closed by its principal with the consent of the parents to ensure the safety of the students.

Earlier this month, a child playing in the school premises was injured by mortar fire from SLA camp in Valaichenai. The school was also heavily damaged in the shelling.

Civilian casualties have been high in this area as a consequence of the military tension which pervades the strategic Valaichenai junction.

The local education department is yet to find the school children of Karuvarkerni an alternative.

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