3RD LEAD

Claymore mine hits SLA convoy, 3 killed, 11 wounded

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 July 2006, 07:02 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army Captain, a Lieutenant and a Lance Corporal were killed and 11 other troopers wounded when a bus carrying the troopers was ambushed with a Claymore mine near Maruthanarmadam Junction, 8.5 km northeast of Jaffna town at 11:05 a.m. Wednesday. Five of the eleven SLA troopers wounded in the ambush, were in serious condition, SLA sources said. The soldiers opened fire indiscriminately for fifteen minutes and beat up the civilians in the area after the attack. Three civilians were rushed to Jaffna hospital, residents said.

The wounded troopers, 1 officier, 8 SLA troopers and 2 policemen, were rushed to Palaly military hospital and three of the wounded were airlifted to Colombo.

Three civilians, V. Kajanthan, 21, K. Thurairajah, 62, both from Uduvil, Chunnakam, and D. Sabaratnayakam, 68, from Veemankamam, Dutch Road, Tellippalai, were wounded when SLA troopers opened fire for 15 minutes after the attack.

The ambush took place on Manipay Maruthanarmadam Road in Valikamam sector of Jaffna district.

The bus was carrying 15 troopers, from Uduvil SLA camp, who were to leave Jaffna on vacation to their homes in South, SLA sources said.