Passengers injured, vehicles damaged at Habarana

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 October 2006, 07:42 GMT]
Vehicles along key roads leading to Trincomalee and Batticaloa have come under attack by Sinhala gangs in Habarana area where more than one hundred Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) personnel were killed in a bomb attack on Monday afternoon, civil society sources said. Gangs have hurled stones at vehicles belonging to Tamils and Muslims, sources added.

At least twenty vehicles including state, private buses and cars have been damaged due to the attacks, and several passengers have been injured in the incidents that took place Monday night, according to owners of these vehicles.

Sinhala gangs operating under the cover of darkness are allegedly being assisted by SLA soldiers and police personnel in uniform, affected passengers said. The attacks have also occurred near the Habarana Police Station.

Bus services and other transport have come to a standstill to and from Trincomalee and Batticaloa following the incidents, transport sources said.

Meanwhile, train services to and from Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Colombo have been suspended since Sunday due to the derailment of eight wagons between Gal-Oya and Maho. Railway authorities said the delay in resuming these train services as repairs to damaged rail track have not been completed even after four days because of rain.