8 killed within 24 hours in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 October 2006, 01:27 GMT]
Seven civilians were shot and killed by unidentified armed men and the body of a youth from Kandarmadam with cut injuries was found in a well in Neeraviady Jaffna peninsula within the last 24 hours from Thursday 6:00 p.m to Friday 6:00 p.m., civil society sources in Jaffna said.

Unidentified gunmen called Thiyagarajan Thilainathan, 28, out of his house at Karavedy near Sampanthar shop, along Arasady-Sonappu Road, shot him dead Friday around 9:15 a.m., and escaped from the site, said sources in Karavedy.

Kanthan Uthayakumar, 32, a trader from Karavedy East in Vadamardchchy, riding his bicycle was shot around Friday 3:00 p.m. at the same location by unidentified gunmen who followed him in on a motorbike.

Meanwhile, unidentified armed men riding a motor-bike followed three friends riding their motor cycles and shot them to death Friday around 5:00 p.m. at Rasa Veethy located between Masivan junction and Nilavarai in Valigamam East, said local residents.

The dead were identified as Kulasingham Kunarasa, 28, a mechanic from Thunalai, Vellupillai Thiyagarajah, 59, a vehicle broker from Atchuveli, and Illayathamby Kirupananthan 32, a painter from Atchuveli.

In a separate incident, unidentified men shot dead Kurusamy Kathiravelu, 44, of Koiathodam in Jaffna at his food shop in front of Jaffna Teaching Hospital using a hand pistol Friday around 10:10 a.m, sources in Jaffna said.

In Athiyady, Point Pedro, unidentified gunmen shot dead Thavarasa, a labourer, Friday morning. No further information about this killing is known.

Meanwhile, a dead body with knife wounds was found dumped in a well at Neeraviady close to Jaffna Hindu College in Jaffna town. The victim was identified as Kuganthan, 28 from Yarl Road, Kantharmadam according to the particulars given in the identity card found on his body .

The knife wounds on the dead body allow speculation that Kuganathan was knifed to death before being dumped into the well, said Neeraviady residents who added that they heard gunshots from Kasthuriar Road and Kankesanthurai Road areas the Thursday night.

The dead bodies are kept at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital and Manthikai Hospital in Point Pedro, said hospital sources.