Watchman shot dead in retaliation

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Thambipillai Thambiraja, a watcher employed at a mill in Kalmunai near the spot where the seven Sri Lankan Policemen were killed last night, was beaten and shot dead by a group of Policeman who went to the area after the incident said residents.

The dead watcher is from the village of Mahiladithivu in the Paduvankarai region west of Batticaloa which is not under the control of the SLA.

He is the father of three children. Residents said that a Police party which had come to the scene of the grenade attack in which seven Policemen were killed after midnight had questioned and severely beaten up the watcher.

They said he was shot dead around 1 a.m. in the early hours of the morning today.