SLA detains 3 civilians

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Three civilians who went to see their house and property in Barathipuram near the forward defence localities of the SLA's Kilinochchi base on Tuesday 18. November have been detained by the Sri Lankan Army.

Nothing is yet known of their whereabouts or as to what has happened to them.

A person who went with them, identified as Kuppusamy Chandrakumar, 28, was found unconscious next day by another group of Tamil civilians who ventured into the area.

This group was also discovered and detained by a Sri Lankan army patrol operating in the area but was released later in the day.

Kuppusamy was admitted to the Akkarayan Hospital yesterday.

He had been severely assaulted by the Sri Lankan army patrol which had come upon his group at Rathinapuram.

The SLA patrol had taken the others, identified as Albert Robert Kennedy, Babu and Jeyakumar after Kuppusamy had fainted at the spot.