7 Ampara homeguards killed

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Seven homeguards were killed in an attack by the Liberation Tigers this morning around 10.30 a.m. in the Central camp area about thirty kilometers south west of Batticaloa near the district's border with Ampara.

The home guards were on patrol through the 11th colony when they were attacked by the LTTE said sources.

A Sinhala civilian was reported killed in the cross fire.

The home guards were attached to the Sri Lankan Police at Central Camp, a small town, dominated by Sinhalese since 1990. (It was a mixed town earlier)

Sources said that more than 250 Tamil families in the 11th colony are moving out of the village to safer areas, fearing retaliation by Police and other homeguards tonight.

In September 1997 following shooting of a home guard by the Liberation Tigers, combined force of Sri Lankan Police and homeguards attacked 4th Colony killing 6 people, destroying 66 houses and displacing nearly 1400 people.