News in Brief:

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 January 1999, 12:00 GMT]
Electricity supply to several Sri Lankan Army camps in Vanni was disrupted after an electricity pylon was blasted last night; Sri Lankan Customs arrest two Indian nationals at Colombo airport; Five policemen and civilian feared drowned in boat accident.

Electricity pylon blasted

An electricity pylon was blasted around midnight yesterday at Rambaikulam, about 15 km. north of Vavuniya along the A 9 trunk road, disrupting the electricity supply for several hours to the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) detachments up to Mankulam, sources said.

However the electricity supply was restored by morning today.

Residents in Vavuniya said that they were able to hear the explosion of the blast and it was followed with gunfire.

Meanwhile, SLA sources said that 6 Liberation Tigers were killed in clashes which took place at Oddusuddan, east of Mankulam, last night.

Two soldiers were wounded in these clashes they said.

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Forged Indian currency notes in Sri Lanka

Two Indian nationals attempting to smuggle forged Indian currency notes were arrested by customs officials at the Bandaranayake International Airport in Colombo last night, said custom officials at the airport.

The suspects attempting to board a flight bound for south-Indian city of Madras, tried to smuggle the Indian currency notes, to a value of 600,000 Indian rupees, in bags containing cloves, the officials said.

They said that further investigations are continuing.

The raid was conducted by Assistant Customs Superintendent, Asoka Ratnayake, and Tissa Chandrasiri.

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Five policemen and civilian feared drowned

Five Policemen and a civilian are feared to have drowned when a boat in which they were crossing the Konduvedduvaan reservoir in Ampara district capsized, the Police said.

Irrigation officials said that the water level of the reservoir had risen due to torrential rains experienced in the area last week.

A search operation is underway the police said.