2ND LEAD

Thinakkural distributor killed in explosion in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 July 2006, 00:11 GMT]
Mariathas Manojanraj, 23, a distributor of Yarl Thinakural and Veerakesari, was killed in a claymore explosion on Rasa Road, near Nilavarai Deep well on his way from Atchuvely to Jaffna at 4:00 a.m. Thursday, sources in Jaffna said. Manojanraj was riding motorbike to collect Thursday issues of the papers from the Jaffna Thinakkural office for distribution in Atchuvely when the explosion occurred, sources said.

The claymore mine was triggered by remote-control device and occurred in a isolated area in Navakeeri close to the Ellalan Community Center, sources said.

Manojanraj and a fellow worker had registered with the SLA sentry in Atchuvely prior to their journey to Jaffna. Relatives of Manojanraj said they suspect SLA complicity in the explosion.