Eight youths arrested in Potkerni cordon and search

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 June 2000, 19:20 GMT]
Eight Tamil youths were arrested during a cordon and search operation by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in Potkerni in Thampalakamam, about 13 km. south-west of Trincomalee according to residents from the area.

The troops searched the area following a claymore mine explosion at Potkerni around 6.30 a.m. on Friday, on Kandy trunk road.

The explosion happened when a group of SLA soldiers were engaged in road clearing operation, security sources said. However, there were no serious casualties, the sources added.

In a separate incident, unidentified gunmen shot three Muslim home guards at 5th Colony in the Central Camp area in the Ampara district, around 11.45 p.m. Thursday night. Two died on the spot and the third was admitted to the Batticaloa hospital, sources said.

The names of the dead were Jabbar Mudalali and Abdul. The injured was identified as Aliyar.