Kaaththaankudi tense, shutdown continues third day

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 June 2008, 19:47 GMT]
The shutdown launched in Kaaththaankudi Monday in protest against the killing of the Muslim vegetable trader from Kaaththaankudi Sunday in Batticaloa, continued for the third day with all shops, schools, government and private institutions remaining closed, sources in Kaaththaankudi said. Police and Special Task Force (STF) commandos were jointly engaged in maintaining order and peace in Kaaththaankudi.

The Muslim vegetable trader, Abdul Farook Kuthoos, the father of three children, was knifed to death Sunday in Kalladi area in Batticaloa.

Meanwhile, two vendors from Kaaththaankudi selling young coconuts near a private hospital in Kalladi Monday were abducted around 2:30 p.m., causing fear and panic among the Muslims in Kaaththaankudi and the neighbouring areas.

The tension subdued following information that the two abducted vendors had been released.

However, rumours of two Muslim traders from Kaaththaankudi being abducted Tuesday near Kalladi Bridge triggered enraged Muslims in Kaaththaankudi to obstruct vehicles passing along the Main street by burning tires on the road.

STF commandos and the police rushing to Kaaththaankudi managed to bring the situation under control and the traffic which had been suspended from noon returned to normalcy around 2:30 p.m.

Three Muslims had been shot and killed in Kaaththaankudi area 25 May and two Muslims from Ea'raavoor were abducted 24 May, following the killing of two TMVP paramilitary operatives in Kaaththaankudi area 22 May.

The two abducted Muslims are yet to be released and the killing of the Muslim vegetable trader had aggravated the tension prevailing in the area.

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