2ND LEAD

Jaffna city terrorized, armed men kill three businessmen

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 March 2007, 08:07 GMT]
A fruit seller, an ice cream bar owner and a worker at the bar in Jaffna city were shot and killed by armed men who walked into their businesses Sunday noon. Armed men with hand guns chased the fruit seller who was selling grapes in the pavement of Hospital Road, opposite the bus stand, and shot him dead while he was running for his life calling for help. Later, an owner of an ice-cream bar and his assistant were shot and killed, 200 meters away, behind the bus stand on Jaffna Power House Road. Tension prevails in Jaffna city following the killings in broad daylight in the heart of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Security Zone (HZS).

The grape seller was identifed as Soosaithaas Thanaraaj, 19. He uses to buy grapes from his native village from Ilavaalai and sell them in the pavements of Jaffna city.

The other two victims were identified as Arulraaj Jeyantharoopan, 26, from Kokkuvil Kanthi Veethi and Yoakalingkam Chaarangkan, 23, Theatre Road, Inuvil.

Jaffna Magistrate A. C. Vicknaraja visited the area and ordered the Police to investigate the killings. The bodies were handed over to Jaffna hospital.

Bus services were cancelled, streets and the shops were vacated after the killings.

Three days ago, a woman employee of a pharmacy located in front of Jaffna Teaching Hospital was shot and killed.

13 days ago, on 12 March, a textile vendor was slain, along Hospital road, Jaffna in front of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

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