2ND LEAD (Update)

SL Navy intelligence officer, gunman killed in Mannar

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 June 2006, 06:18 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Navy Intelligence officer was shot and killed when he was shopping at the bazaar in Mannar around 10:00 a.m., Friday. Sri Lankan troopers who surrounded the area shot the gunman who gunned down the intelligence officer, Police said.

Dissande de Gostha, 28, the SLN intelligence officer was gunned down by the "Pistol Unit" of the LTTE intelligence, Police in Mannar said.

A 9 mm pistol was found in possession of the gunman, bearing the identity, Arulappu Rajeevkumar, 24.

Mannar District Magistrate, N. M. M. Abdulla, who visited the site ordered the bodies handed over to Mannar General Hospital.

The incident took place near the Mannar Mohideen Jumma Mosque. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and SLN troopers were rushed to the scene. Sri Lankan troopers blocked all roads leading to the bazaar and launched a combined cordon and search operation with the assistance of the Police.

Tension prevails in the town and the shops, shut down immediately after the incident, remain closed.