News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 October 1999, 13:54 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers mark the death of their first woman fighter; abducted schoolboy found killed; unidentified parcel explodes.

Anniversary of first death of a female Liberation Tiger

The Liberation Tigers marked the death of their first woman fighter, 2nd Lt. Malathy, in the Paduvaankarai region, the western hinterlands of the Batticaloa district yesterday. She died on 10 October 1987, in fighting with the Indian Army.

About 5000 people participated in a procession which was followed by a public meeting, held at Ambilanthurai public ground in the evening.

Several prominent members of the Liberation Tigers, including political wing leader for the Batticaloa-Ampara District, Visu and women's political wing leader for the district, Banhu, spoke at the meeting.

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Abducted schoolboy's body found

The body of a schoolboy who was abducted at Aluthgama in Colombo, three days ago was recovered this morning from a cesspit police sources said. He was abducted on Friday to demand a ransom from a his father, a gem merchant, the sources added.

The schoolboy, Lakshman has been strangled to death, the sources added.

The abductors had demanded 2.5 million Sri Lankan Rupees as ransom from his parents.

The abductors were arrested yesterday by the Police.

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Parcel found on bus explodes

An unidentified parcel found by the conductor of a bus, which was en route to Colombo, exploded a short while after he threw it out police sources said.

The conductor had found the parcel as the bus from Kalmunai approached the Aaraiyampathi police check post around 8.15 this morning.

The conductor informed the policemen at the check post about the parcel, which exploded before the army bomb disposal unit arrived at the scene, the sources said.

The police said the bomb could have been placed to explode in the bus or in Colombo.