Claymore attack kills SLA trooper, injures 2 in Vadamaraadchchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 December 2007, 05:23 GMT]
Unidentified persons triggered a Claymore device Saturday around 8:00 p.m at Oo’ra’ni area in Valveddiththu’rai killing one Sri Lanka Army (SLA) trooper and seriously injuring two in an attack on a convoy of SLA vehicles passing through. The device, hidden along the route to Palaali SLA Head Quarters through Valvai and Achchuveali near an SLA camp, was activated by the attackers.

The SLA convoy was transporting troops and supplies from Nakarkoayil in Vadamaraadchchi east and other areas in Vadamaraadchchi to Palaali along Point Pedro-Jaffna road via Valvai and Achchuveali when it was attacked at Oo’ra’ni.

The attack was launched close to a SLA camp on the said coast line road with civilian settlements on one side of it.

Tho’ndaimaanaa’ru bridge on the route to Palaali from Vadamaraadchchi had been demolished in an SLA offensive in 1987 and was rebuilt by the SLA later.

SLA abandoned this route due to frequent attacks on its convoys and had recently begun using the alternate route to Palaali where the Saturday night attack took place.

Meanwhile, heavy artillery duel and exchange of mortar fire in the Front Defence Lines in Ki’laali and Mukamaalai between the SLA and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were heard in the early hours Saturday.

SLA began launching shells from its main bases in the Jaffna peninsula Saturday evening on LTTE positions in Mukamaalai, Ki’lali and Poonakari areas and the shelling continued late into the night.