SLA shoots dead TELO member, ransacks Vavuniyaa office

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 July 2007, 09:29 GMT]
Hundreds of Sri Lanka Army soldiers and Policemen rounded up and entered the premises of Tamileelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) district office located in Pa'ndaarikku'lam in Vavuniyaa Thursday morning around 8:30, shot and killed a TELO member, Thiyaaku, a father of two, and alleged that the victim was attempting a lob a grenade at them. The TELO is a member party of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) with 4 elected Members of Parliament. TELO officials in Vavuniyaa said that the ransack operation was a calculated move to discredit the organisation and terrorize the members of TELO.

Initial reports said a grenade was seen on the chest of the dead body.

Military officials in Vavuniyaa claimed that they had located a T-56 rifle, four Police uniforms, a pistol, 3 walkie-talkies, an anti-personnel mine and 300 bullets.

3 TELO officials were taken to Police station following the ransack operation.

TELO offices are normally provided Police security.

The victim, Mr. Thiyaaku, is from Paalaamaikkal on Vavuniya Mannar Road, TELO sources said.

The TELO officials and MPs are increasingly harassed by the paramilitary and the Sri Lankan armed forces.

Vavuniyaa District Magistrate, M. Ilancheliyan, visited the TELO office and inspected the scene where the dead body was lying.

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