Batticaloa villages shelled

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 May 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired mortars from its Valaichenai Paper Mill camp and Harbour View Camp in the Batticaloa district this morning from 2.00 a.m. till 5.00 a.m. said sources in the eastern district. The villages of Kannakikiramam, Kinnaiyadi and Pendukalsenai were hit by the SLA shelling, said the sources.

The shelling had damaged high-voltage electric cables and as a result, power supply to the eastern villages of Valaichenai, Kommathurai and Chenkalady had been disrupted, said sources.

The shelling came three days after the attack on the Karuththappalam SLA-PLOTE joint detachment in Chenkalady, 10 km. north of Batticaloa.

Meanwhile, Kachcheri officials in Vavuniya said that arrangements had been made to send 1000 refugees back to their homes in the Jaffna peninsula.

The ship, Lanka Mudiththa, which is currently anchored in KKS harbour will arrive in the eastern port of Trincomalee soon and should sail back to Jaffna on May 30, they said.

A convoy of busses from Mannar, carrying 500 refugees, arrived in Trincomalee yesterday, said sources in the eastern port town.