One SLA trooper killed, two injured in Vadamaradchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 January 2007, 19:14 GMT]
Unknown gunmen attacked two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps, located at Vathiry Road in Udupiddy and David Camp in Navindil area, both in Vadamaradchi, Thursday, injuring two in David camp, sources from Jaffna said. Meanwhile, unconfirmed media reports in Jaffna said that a SLA trooper at Nagarkovil SLA front defence line in Vadamaradchi east was killed in Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) artillery attack while SLA sources said one trooper was killed in Tiger sniper fire Thursday evening. It is not known whether both reports referred to the same trooper.

In the first incident, unidentified armed men fired on the SLA camp near Udupiddy American Mission School at Udupitty junction around 6:45 a.m Thursday, and SLA troopers retaliated. Heavy exchange of fire took place for nearly five minutes but information on casualties is not available, sources in Jaffna said.

The second attack took place on David Camp located in Navindil area in Vadamaradchi just one km from the Udupiddy camp around 2.40 p.m Thursday by unidentified armed men. Unconfirmed reports said that three SLA troopers were seriously injured and later two of the injured died but SLA sources said that two troopers were injured in this attack.

David Camp which had been attacked several times before had been used by the Sea Tigers in 1995 and now used by the SLA as an intelligence camp.

In another incident, unidentified persons activated a claymore device hidden along Kankesanthurai road at Inuvil, targeting an SLA road patrol unit around 4:00 p.m Thursday, sources in Jaffna said. No one was injured in this attack.