2nd Lead (Adds details)

Mannar LTTE offices come under attack

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 June 2005, 16:51 GMT]
Two offices of the Liberation Tigers in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled area of Mannar have been simultaneously attacked by suspected gunmen belonging to Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) around 9.45 pm Saturday with grenades and gunfire, sources in Mannar said. Sounds of grenade explosions and gunfire were heard near the political office of the LTTE, located in Mannar-Thalaimannar Road and LTTE's administrative office located in Mannar Moor street. TamilNet has not confirmed whether a third office in Moor street of LTTE's financial division was also attacked, sources added.

LTTE's Mannar division Political Officer, Mr Arunthavam, said that they can identify the EPDP gunmen who attacked their offices. Sources said that the attackers threw two grenades at the backyard of their offices and then started firing towards the front entrance to the building causing damages to the building.

At the LTTE administrative building in Moor street, residents said they heard atleast thirty rounds of gunfire.

Selvam Adaikalanathan, a Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian from Vanni district is also at the scene, according to sources.

Large number of armed policemen are deployed in the streets of Mannar following the attack, and residents are virtually under house arrest, sources in Mannar said.

Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission are also at the scene, according to sources in Mannar town.