Police fire injures Muslim youth

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 September 1999, 01:46 GMT]
Thirteen Muslim youth were wounded last night when Policemen providing security to Sri Lanka's Minister of Port and Shipping, M.H.M Ashraff, opened fire on a jeering crowd around 11.30 p.m. last night in the eastern town of Akkaraipattu.

The condition of six youth who were shot at by the minister's security is serious, said sources.

A group of youth had jeered the minister who had come to address a public meeting held last night in Akkaraipattu, a Muslim town on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka in the Ampara district.

Police said that the jeering youth had become unruly and hence the minister's security personnel had to open fire to disperse the crowd and safeguard Mr.Ashraff.

However, sources in the town said that the youth had merely jeered at the minister and other Sri Lanka Muslim Congress speakers at the meeting.

Akkaraipattu is tense following the incident, they said.