3RD LEAD

Seven innocent youths killed in Vadamaradchi, Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 May 2006, 10:29 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army soldiers opened fire and attacked with Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launchers two three-wheelers with 7 youths inside, killing all of them on the spot. The attack took place inside a lane near SLA Intelligence Camp in Navindil, 300 meters from Nelliyadi junction in Vadamaradchi, Jaffna, around 2:15 p.m. Thursday. The victims, who were on their way to attend a birthday party, were attacked by the SLA men in retaliation to a grenade attack that took place behind their Intelligence camp where 3 SLA personnel, including an officer, were wounded.

The seven victims from Rajakiramam in Karaveddy were identified as:

1. Selvarajah Suman, 22,
2. Veluppillai Vimalan, 21
3. Nagaratnam Naguleswaran, 18,
4. Palachandran Krishanthan, 18,
5. Thamotharampillai Sharmilian, 17,
6. Navaratnarajah Nathanna, 19,
7. Subramaniam Subash, 19

The attack on the youths from Rajakiramam, a village located 500 meters south of Nelliyadi, comes as the villagers were mourning the deaths of another 2 auto-rikshaw drivers who were killed recently.

The village remains tense as the Sri Lankan troopers at the Intelligence camp and the policemen have threatened the parents to provide statement that the youths were LTTE cadres, residents said.

Point pedro Magistrate K. Ariyanayagam who visited the attack site and ordered the Police to hand over the dead bodies to Pointpedro Manthikai hospital.

Earlier, Sri Lankan defence sources claimed that the youths who were killed were attackers who lobbed grenades into a nearby EPDP camp near SLA checkpost.

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DBS:

Seven civilian youths massacred at Nelliaddy