Gunmen fire on EPDP van, Policeman injured

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 March 2005, 11:59 GMT]
A Police sergeant was wounded when unidentified gunmen opened fire on the van in which he was traveling with a group of EPDP cadres Wednesday afternoon in Aarumuhaththaan Kudiyiruppu, 12 kilomertres north of Batticaloa. The van was damaged in the firing but the six EPDP cadres in the vehicle escaped unhurt, Police said. EPDP is a close ally of President Chandrika Kumaratunga and operates as a paramilitary with the Sri Lankan armed forces in the northeast. The EPDP cadres were returning from Batticaloa to their camp in the Kommathurai Sri Lanka army garrison.

The injured policeman is Mr. Piyal Perera, 42.

The assailants lobbed a grende at the van before firing on the van.

Kommathurai is a village garrisoned by the Sri Lanka army, 17 kilometres north of Batticaloa.

The gunmen fired on the EPDP vehicle with a T-56 assault rifle, Police said.