2ND LEAD (Corrects age)

Karuna group, SLA, abduct 5 IDPs

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 March 2007, 16:19 GMT]
Five persons, including a Hindu priest, two teen aged sisters, and two youths from the Internally Displaced People (IDP)s displaced from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held areas in Batticaloa district, have been taken away by paramilitary Karuna group personnel and soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Intelligence wing within the last 10 days, according to complaints lodged with Batticaloa Human Rights commission by their relatives.

Alaguthurai Yogarajah, 23, of Kardiyanaru, Raveenthiran Gopinath, 21, of Ampilanthurai, Mylapodi Mehanathan, 45, a Hindu priest, Navaratnam Anjaladevi, 18, and Navaratnam Jeyalalitha, 16, two sisters from Unnichchai, were taken away forcefully from the temporary camps, schools and other public buildings, relatives said.

The relatives of the above have complained of the abductions at Eravur and Batticaloa police stations.

Residents of the LTTE held areas had to flee from their residences due to the persistent artillery attacks by the SLA.