One SLN soldier killed, four injured in claymore explosion in Sampaltivu

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 July 2006, 16:09 GMT]
Five soldiers of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) seriously injured when a route clearing patrol of the SLN hit a claymore mine placed along the road located near Salli Amman Temple in Sampaltivu village, about seven km off north of Trincomalee town Monday afternoon around 3.15 p.m. The area comes under the Uppuveli Police division, police said.

All the five sailors were first admitted to the Sri Lanka Navy hospital located inside the Dockyard in Trincomalee. Later they were airlifted to Colombo general hospital.

One of the five later succumbed to injuries after being admitted in the Colombo general hospital, sources said.

Security forces immediately launched a cordon and search operation in the village following the claymore explosion. Several civilians were detained and questioned during the search operation, civil sources said.