SLA fire injures youth in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 May 2007, 14:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers opened fire Sunday around 7:50 a.m on civilians fishing in a lake at Thampaanam Ve'li located along Chengkaladi-Badulla road in Batticaloa district, seriously wounding a youth from the refugee camp at Aiyangea'ni village in Ea'ravoor police division, sources in Batticaloa said. His father narrowly escaped injuries.

Saravanapavan Pirabu, 18, displaced from Pankudaave'li, was rushed to Ea'raavoor hospital first and then transferred to Batticaloa Teaching hospital for further treatment.

Pirabu is one of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) from Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam held territory who had fled their homes when the SLA launched offensives on their villages.

He and his father Nesathurai Sarvanapavan, 37, had left the refugee camp around 6:00 a.m Sunday and had been fishing in the lake.

Many civilians from villages like Koduvaamadu and Thampaanam had to flee their villages. SLA has established new camps in these areas.

Thampaanam Ve'li is located 17 km northwest of Batticaloa.