Youths killed at Batticaloa checkpoint

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 July 2000, 15:02 GMT]
Two youths were shot dead by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers manning a check post in the Batticaloa town area around 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon. Army sources said the youths who were ridding a motor cycle tried to escape as troops stopped them at the check post.

The youth who was ridding the motorcycle was identified as Jesuthas of Aaraiampathi, a member of the Sri Lankan police volunteer corps. SLA sources said the pillion passenger was a member of the Liberation Tigers. The police handed over the bodies to the Batticaloa hospital.

In a separate incident, Sri Lankan police handed over a body of a youth to the Mannar hospital claiming that he was member of the Liberation Tigers who was killed in fire-fight with the Special Task Force soldiers on Friday evening.

The youth was identified as Manchutharasan Arunachalam, 18, from Parikarikandal in Mannar. His mother, Kamadchi Arunachalam, who identifiedthe body said his son had no connection with the Liberation Tigers.

Additional Magistrate of Mannar Mr.M.H.M.Ajmeer ordered the hospital to hand over the body to his family after conducting post-mortem.