Civilians assaulted in retaliation

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 March 1999, 12:10 GMT]
Twenty five civilians, all youth, including two girls, were admitted to the Valaichenai hospital today for treatment from injuries caused by a group of Sri Lankan Army (SLA) soldiers who roamed the villages of Kannankiramam, Kannakipuram, Puthukkudiyiruppu, Vinayakapuram this morning from about 8 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., intimidating and assaulting young people in the area.

Residents said that the group of soldiers had lobbed a grenade at a house in Kannakipuram around 10.15 a.m.

The SLA had attacked this house with grenades in May last year too.

The army suspects that an inmate of the house is an LTTE sympathiser residents said.

The SLA group, according to sources in Valaichenai, was on a retaliatory prowl to avenge the killing yesterday of one their colleagues in the town by gunmen suspected to be members of the Liberation Tigers.

The colonies and villages, which form the outskirts of the Valaichenai town, were deserted and tense today as a consequence of the SLA's actions they said.

Ten of the assaulted youth who had to seek medical treatment this morning are still at the Valaichenai hospital said sources there.