SLN boats attacked in Mannar, three troopers missing, one wounded

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 December 2005, 05:30 GMT]
A soldier of the Sri Lanka Navy Mr.S.G.T.Sanjeeva,23, was injured Thursday morning around 7.30 a.m. when unidentified attackers fired at three SLN boats enroute to Pallimunai camp in the Mannar town. The attackers have abducted three SLN soldiers with their patrol boat, Mannar Police said. A Tamil fisherman Mr.P.Rukman, 25, was also injured in the incident.

Unidentified attackers had fired at the SLN boats from the shore of Pallimunai when the boats were returning to the SLN camp after completing night patrol in the Mannar sea, according to the police.

The boats were 200 meters away from the shore when they were attacked, sources added.

The two injured were rushed to Mannar general hospital.

Additional troops and police have been deployed in the Mannar town.

The soldiers who launched a cordon and search operation in the areas Pallimunai, Bazaar, Sinnakadai and Uppukulam, were seen attacking the civilian travellers on the streets in Mannar following the incident, civilian sources said.

All shops and public institutions were immediately closed down due to the tense situation prevailing in Mannar, the sources added.