Two civilians shot dead in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 July 2007, 13:49 GMT]
Two civilians, a 25-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, were shot to death by unknown gunmen in Chaavakachcheari in Thenmaraadchi district Saturday, sources in Jaffna said.

Lathayini Arunachalam, an employee at a private bookstore, was riding her bicycle from her home in Nu'naavil towards her workplace in Chaavakachcheari town along Church Lane when unknown gunmen riding in a motorbike shot her dead around 12:00 noon Saturday.

Her body has been transferred to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital for postmortem examinations.

Hospital sources said five bullet wounds were found in her head and body.

Meanwhile, Chavakachcheari police recovered the body of Velayuthapillai Pirapaharan, with hands tied to the back and with seven gunshot wounds to his body, in Veambiraai area in Thenmaraadchi, along Puththoor-Meesaalai road, sources in Jaffna said.

The victim was originally from Madduvil North and was married and living in Manthuvil.

His relatives said that he was abducted after he left home for his daily prayers at a closeby temple on Friday.