Batticaloa SLA continue crackdown

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 August 1999, 17:03 GMT]
Several youths were arrested by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Batticaloa town area today. Residents said an SLA troops in a truck went round the town picking up the detainees at random off the street.

The detainees' bicycles and motorcycles were seen left on the roadside sources said.

Residents said parents of those arrested were later seen outside the SLA camp at Kovinthan road where the detainees were held.

It could not be confirmed how many people were arrested. But SLA sources said they have detained 10 youths for further investigation.

Other SLA sources said a time bomb was found around 11.20 a.m. in Batticaloa town about 50 metres from the spot where an SLA convoy was attacked on Wednesday.

The bomb was found a short while before another SLA convoy, similar to that blasted on Wednesday left Batticaloa, also bound for Polannaruwa.

A large number of Sri Lankan military personnel guarded the Batticaloa town area and traffic was blocked for nearly two hours in order to provide security for the convoy.

Today's convoy took a new interior route from Batticaloa to Polannaruwa through Puthuppaalam.

Civilian movement in Batticaloa town was considerably reduced today the sources added.