Five civilians injured in SLA rocket fire in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 October 2006, 00:04 GMT]
Barrage of rockets fired by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from Valaichenai Paper Factory and Murakodanchenai camps between 6:00 p.m and 7:40 p.m. Saturday have seriously injured five civilians including three women in the villages of Thihilivettai, Pondukalchenai, Navalpitty and Tharavai in LTTE-controlled northeast areas of Batticaloa district, sources said. The injured were rushed to the Medical Centre run by the LTTE where they are being treated, residents said.

The injured were identified as Kathamuthu Pithamparam, 37, Ms. Karuvathamby Kannama, 40, Ms. Mylvaganam Mohanavathani, 42, Ms. Velautham Ranee, 44 and Seenithamby Subramaniam, 51.

They were all devotees from returning after attending Krishna Temple festival in Thihilivettai, sources said.

Many SLA shells fell within cattle farms killing 20 cattle and 17 goats belonging to village residents.

The continuous SLA artillery fire in LTTE-held villages in Batticaloa for the last few days has created an atmosphere of fear and anxiety in the minds of residents, civil society sources said.