4TH LEAD

SLA soldier, 3 civilians killed, 20 injured in Jaffna bomb explosions

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 January 2007, 04:19 GMT]
Three civilians, including an elderly woman was killed and twenty civilians injured, seven seriously, in two incidents of bomb explosions in Chavakachcheri and Manipay, Tuesday morning, sources in Jaffna said. A Sri Lanka Army soldier succumbed to his wounds and three other troopers were wounded in Chavakachcheri explosion, SLA sources in Jaffna said. Tension prevails in Jaffna after the suspicious bomb attacks inflicting civilian casualties during the rush hours near Chavakachcheri New Market and in Manipay.

Thavarajah Poopathi, 50, from Katkuli Road, Chavakachcheri was killed and sixteen civilians wounded, seven of them seriously, when a bomb hidden in a motorbike exploded inside the Chavakachcheri town area along Thanankilappu, Kerativu road branching towards the east from the town at 8:00 a.m Tuesday morning.

The seriously injured were transferred to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, while the other seven are receiving treatment at Chavakachcheri Government Hospital, hospital sources said.

The wounded were identified as R. Rajakumar, 26, N. Rajaladchumy, 40, of Chavakacheri, A. Sooriyakumar, 31, from Chavakacheri, T. Jesintha, 32, of Ariyalai, K. Dinosan, 16, S. Yogananthan, 47, of Chavakacheri, K. Rajendran, 30, from Chavakacheri, M. Jeyarasa, 64, of Kaithady, A. K. Kumarasamy, 64, of Meesalai, V. Sanjithkumar, 19, K. Rajathurai, 57, of Meesalai, Mary Mohan, 60 from Atchuveli, T. Thushyanthan, 23, M. Mohanathas, 27, of Chavakacheri, and S. Mathanamohan, 26, from Chavakacheri.

One of the injured, lying unconscious at the hospital, is yet to be identified.

Although SLA sources in Jaffna reported six Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers were injured in the Chavakachcheri explosion, the Military Command has not confirmed injuries to the troops.

Meanwhile, five civilians walking along Karainagar road in Manipay were injured when a bomb hidden by the road side exploded at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, sources said. There was no SLA vehicle at the spot when the explosion took place.

The injured were immediately taken to Jaffna Teaching Hospital for treatment. One of the injured died later in hospital.

The explosion took place amidst increasing number of disappearances of youths and school students, many abducted during curfew hours.