Kaluwanchikudy civilians injured

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 January 2000, 10:46 GMT]
Five civilians were injured, one of them seriously, when police opened fire at the Kaluwanchikudy market around 11 a.m today. Shops were closed and the situation remained tense in the town following the incident, sources said.

Kaluwanchikudy is about 28 kilometres south of Batticaloa town.

Witnesses say an explosion was heard in the area before the security forces opened fire indiscriminatly.

The following five civilians were injured in the incident: M. Pathmavathy, 30, from Koddaikalaary; K. Rohinithevei, 40, from Kalaaru; V.Puvanenthiran, 30, from Kaluwanchikudy; C. Kanapathipillai, 59, from Eruvil and M. Theivanayakam, 55, from Kurumanveli.

All were admitted to the Batticaloa hospital.

Elsewhere in Batticaloa, suspected members of the Liberation Tigers shot and wounded two soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army's intelligence unit at Chenkalady town around 9 a.m., police said.

The soldiers, Abdhul Hameed and Vigneswaran, are attached to the SLA's intelligence unit at Komanthurai, 12 km north of Batticaloa.