PLOTE - TELO shootout in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Three members of the TELO were wounded in a shoot out between the organisation and the PLOTE in Vavuniya last night. One of the injured is Kuhan, the TELO's Vavuniya district organiser.

He was admitted to the Anuradhapura hospital today. The shoot-out took place in the Poonthottam area in the Vavuniya town around 10 p.m. last night.

A van belonging to the TELO was burnt on the spot.

The fracas began when two members of the PLOTE on their way home were accosted by some TELO cadres. The PLOTE members were beaten up by them following an argument. In retaliation, the PLOTE beat up some TELO members in the area.

Following this, the TELO district organiser and his men drove up to Kovil Kulam where the PLOTE has its main camp and severely assaulted two sentries there.

Both had to be admitted to hospital. Then a heavily armed group of PLOTE cadres tracked down Kuhan and his men in Poonthottam around 10 p.m. and fired on their vehicle.

The TELO cadres ran away leaving behind their vehicle, carrying their wounded. The situation in the Poonthottam area is tense today following the incident.

The Police and the army in Vavuniya town have not interfered in the matter.