4 civilians killed in Jaffna Monday morning

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 October 2006, 11:49 GMT]
Four civilians including a gramasevaka and a Sinhalese man were killed between 6:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Monday in Jaffna peninsula, civil society sources in Jaffna said.

Markandu Mahendran, 39, who served as Grama Sevaka in Ariyalai for several years was shot dead by unknown gunmen at his residence in Ariyalai at 6:00 a.m., sources in Jaffna said.

Two unknown gunmen arrived at Selliah Nanthan's house, 42, shot and killed him at close range at 8:00 a.m Monday. Nanthan's house was located in Tellipallai Road, Vaddukoddai.

Meanwhile, Ariyathurai Ariyasivam, 40, who runs a tea-shop in the central part of Jaffna town, was shot dead by unknown gunmen at his business premises around 8:30 a.m., sources in Jaffna said. Ariyasivam, a father of four children, was displaced from Mandaitivu and was residing in Kokuvil, sources said. Motives for the killing are not known.

Iranagama Sooriyasinghe, 56, a Sinhala civilian who settled in Viyaparimoolai in Vadmaradchy was shot dead by unknown gunmen when he was on his way to a nearby shop to buy provisions, sources said. Sorriyasinghe is originally from Galle, according to sources.