3RD LEAD

3 killed, DPU Claymore targets bus on A9

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 September 2008, 06:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) infiltrators Thursday morning triggered a Claymore mine targeting a passenger bus, which was on its way from Pu'liyangku'lam to Ki'linochchi on A9 Road, killing at least three civilians, including the driver of the bus on the spot, accordingo to initial reports from the Tamileelam Police. Meanwhile, medical sources reported that five civilians were rushed to hospitals after the blast.

The DPU attack has taken place at Pothoor while the first passenger bus of the day was en route to Ki'linochchi from Pu'liyangku'lam Thursday at 7:45 a.m. The slain victims were identified as 30-year-old Yoganathan, a father of three from Katchilaimadu, who was the driver of the bus, 32-year-old S. Sasisankar, a father of four from Vaddakkachchi, and Sebamalai Francis Fernando Mariadeisy, an IDP from Parappaangka'ndal, Mannaar..Four of the wounded were identified by the medical sources as Ranjan Lalitharani, 28, from Neethipuram in Maangku'lam, Paranitha, 21, Periyathamby Selvanayagam, 48, from Oamanthai, Vavuniyaa and Pathmanathan Ketheeswaran from Mu'l'likku'lam in Paalampiddi, Mannaar.