500 rounded up in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 October 2001, 18:47 GMT]
A large number of people were rounded up and interrogated during a combined search operation by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and Police in Vavuniya town and its suburbs Thursday. No one was allowed to leave the town area during the operation which began around 11 a.m. and went on till 2 p.m., sources said.

More than 500 people were taken to the Vavuniya Urban Council ground and interrogated in front of masked spotters. Police and Army personnel thoroughly checked their national identity cards and police passes. Many were questioned about the reason for their visit to the town area, the sources said.

Twenty were identified by the spotters and were taken in for further interrogation, police sources said.

Employees of the Vavuniya Secretariat (Administration Centre) and Urban Council were not allowed to leave their offices during the search.