Two civilians injured in Valaichenai shootings

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 October 2006, 15:45 GMT]
Unidentified persons waiting in ambush opened fire seriously injuring a youth riding his bicycle for work, at Kinnaiady in Valaichenai police division in Batticaloa Tuesday around 6:40 a.m, Valaichenai police said. In a separate incident, a woman, 30, was caught in the cross fire between two rival groups and was seriously injured around 11:00 a.m, at Vinayagapuram in the same police division.

Vinasithamby Gunaseelan, 22, a building mason from Pillayar Kovil street in Chunkankerny, is identified as the youth injured. He was rushed to Valaichenai hospital first and later transferred to Batticaloa Teaching hospital in a critical condition.

Ms. K. Ariyamany of Pethalai wass identified as the woman injured in the cross fire in Vinayagapuram. Ariyamany was rushed to Batticaloa Teaching hospital.

The clashes have become frequent with increasing incidents of infiltrations by cadres of the Karuna paramilitary group, villagers said.

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched a mortar attack following a similar exchange of fire last month, damaging the Karuvakerny Pentecostal Church building in which the internally displaced people (IDPs) from Vaharai were staying, residents said.

Kinnaiady is located 26 km and Valaichenai 27 km north of Batticaloa town.