Houses robbed during curfew hours in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 October 2007, 01:11 GMT]
An unidentified group of armed men dressed in black fatigues with their faces covered with black cloth Friday night at about 8:00 p.m. entered at least three houses located within the boundary of Jaffna Municipal Council robbing the houses of cash and jewelry.

The gang speaking fluently in Tamil and Sinhala targeted more than three houses along Navalar Road , Kantharmadam railway station road, and another residence near Jaffna Hindu College.

The robbers first forced themselves into a house located on Railway Station road in Kantharmadam, where the inmates were assaulted with swords and gun butts. After looting the valuables including cash and jewelry worth many lakhs of rupees, the occupants were abducted in a car and taken to unknown destination.

The armed group then proceeded to a house near Jaffna Hindu College where again the valuables worth many lakhs were robbed. Gun shots were fired during the robbery, neighbours said.

The civilians in the area have expressed shock that these robberies occurred while the night time curfew was in force and pointed out that there was a large number of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) mini camps and check points in the areas where the targeted houses are located.

The affected residents have already lodged complaints with Jaffna police.

Robberies in Jaffna which had decreased in the recent times have a shown a sudden increase causing tension throughout Jaffna peninsula.