Claymore hits SLA bus in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 July 2000, 12:38 GMT]
A Sri Lanka army soldier was killed and eight soldiers were injured when a bus in a military convoy was hit by a claymore mine blast Saturday around 4.50 p.m. at Sungaankerni, 30 kilometers north of Batticaloa.

The condition of one of the wounded soldiers is said to be serious said hospital sources in Valaichenai.

The Liberation Tigers who set off the claynore on the Batticaloa- Valaichenai main road had left the scene of the attack by the time special reinforcements moved towards the area. Sungaankerni is about two kilometers south of Valaichenai.

Most of the wounded soldiers have been taken to the government hospital in Polannaruwa, 65 kilometers west of Valaichenai. A helicopter flew into the area around 6 p.m. to evacuate the wounded.

A large number of public transport buses and private vehicles bound to Batticaloa were held up due to the attack.