Two killed in ambushes

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 June 1999, 01:32 GMT]
Six Tamil youths were arrested by Special Task Force (STF) commandos of the Sri Lankan Police during a cordon and search operation in Natpiddimunai, 2 km. west of Kalmunai in the Ampara district Monday.

Local residents said nearly 50 STF personnel cordoned off the village around 6 a.m. and conducted a house-to-house search till yesterday evening.

All males in the area were interrogated by the STF they added.

The village came to a standstill during the search operation, residents said.

Meanwhile, a young man was killed and another was seriously wounded when a Sri Lankan Police unit fired at them near Kaaddupallivaasal (mosque) in the northeastern Mannar last night around 10.30 p.m.

Sources said a police unit from Pallimunai, lying in ambush near the mosque, opened fire killing Veerapaaku Kanakalingam.

T.Sivananthan,32, who was seriously wounded was admitted at the Mannar hospital and later transferred to Vavuniya.

The police said unidentified men fired at them and they returned fire. The police also said they had recovered batteries and other prohibited items from the youths.

Sources in Mannar said that they believe the pair to be traders running small businesses which sell items that are not allowed to be taken into areas not controlled by the Sri Lankan security forces.

Meanwhile SLA sources said a member of the LTTE was killed when they fired at a group of Tigers who were trying to enter the Paashayoor area by boat. The other two escaped, the sources said.