SLA fires into Jaffna University campus

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 September 2007, 14:07 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops opened fire into Jaffna University campus Sunday around 10:00 a.m claiming that a student shot at the SLA sentry post in front of the University, and rushed into the University premises, assaulting some of the students gathered at Kailaasapathi stage, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, Jaffna University Students Union (JUSU) representatives said none of the students had shot at the SLA and that one student was injured in the SLA shooting.

The SLA troops entered the campus premises in Multi Barrel Rocket Launching (MBRL) vehicles and armoured cars, and assaulted students. Nearly one thousand Art Faculty students were attending a cultural programme staged at Kailaasapathi Hall when the incident happened, JSU representatives said.

Student leaders accused the SLA for deliberately firing into the campus and used that as the pretext to enter the campus in order to stop the student meeting. The SLA likely had suspected that the students were organizing an 'Awakening Event' and mustering student support for anti-government campaign, student leaders said.

Some of the students had to undergo rough handling while being searched before being allowed to exit through the front and back entrances of the university.

The exit points were heavily guarded by the SLA and their armoured cars and MBRL vehicles, they added.

The injured student was allowed to go home after his wounds were attended to. The SLA, however, claimed that the student was injured when students were rushing out of the Hall.

SLA strengthened security at both entrances of the university as students left the campus, Sunday evening.