Artillery duel injures four women, hundreds flee Kudumbimalai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 November 2006, 02:05 GMT]
Four women were injured when a mortar shell launched from Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) area targeting the Murkodanchenai Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp fell and exploded on a house near the SLA camp Tuesday around 9:30 a.m., security sources from Batticaloa said. Meanwhile, hundreds of families from LTTE-controlled Kudumbimalai area sought shelter in adjoining jungles seeking safety from SLA fire from Valaichenai Brigade camp Tuesday night, LTTE sources said.

SLA officials allege that the LTTE shell, intended to strike Karuna paramilitary group newly opened office Tuesday at Murakodanchenai, had missed its target injuring civilians.

The injured women were identified as Chandramathy 28, Indira 40, Kanagamma, 48 and Saraswathy, 50, were rushed to Chenkaladi hospital.

S. Seeralan, Batticaloa district deputy head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said mortar attacks and artillery fire were launched since Monday night on the LTTE held areas from the SLA camps in Valaichenai and Murkodanchenai.

He also said that the LTTE retaliated with artillery fire on Tuesday morning on the SLA camps from where the LTTE was attacked.

Meanwhile several hundred residents belonging to more than 100 families, fled from Thihilivettai, Illupaiyadi Mummari and Siruthenkal villages in the Kudumbimalai area in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held area in the Batticaloa district, and sought shelter in the neighbouring jungle to save their lives from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) mortar fire from the Valaichenai Brigade camp which lasted from Tuesday 8:30 a.m until 9:30 a.m, said Seeralan.

Around 1:30 p.m Tuesday, 3 Sri Lanka Air Force Kfir jets bombed Karadyanaru, Illupaiyadichenai and Tharavai areas in the LTTE held territory while an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was engaged in reconnaissance mission over the LTTE area.

The jets were fitted with spot lights to increase visibility amidst low, dark rain clouds, added Seeralan.

Murakodanchenai is located 22 km north of Batticaloa town while Thihilivettai, Tharavai area is situated north-west of Batticaloa.