3 Sinhala villagers killed in second Buttala attack

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 April 2009, 12:01 GMT]
Unidentified persons shot dead three Sinhalese villagers including two women Monday night around 7:00 p.m. at Galmadiyawa along Buttala-Moneragala highway in the southern province. Among the injured one is a woman. This was the second attack on Sinhalese villagers in Buttala area since Saturday.

The attack took place amid heavy concentration of troops and police in the area conducting combing out operation to nab strangers hiding in the Buttala jungle.

Police claimed that some LTTE cadres hiding in the jungle had carried out the second attack on Sinhalese farmers.

The death toll in the first attack had increased to nine, with four of the injured succumbing later to injuries.

Earlier it was reported five Sinhalese villagers were shot and cut to death by unidentified persons, according to police spokesman Ranjit Gunasekara.

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