SLN, STF arrest 15 Muslims in Kalpiddi, Puththa'lam

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 August 2011, 16:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy and Special Task Force personnel launched an attack on civilians irrespective of their sex in Kalpiddi in Puththa'lam district Tuesday morning and arrested over fifteen Muslims. The SLA and STF had forced the closure of all shops in Kalpiddi thereafter. Relatives of the arrested persons are in dark over their kith and kin taken into custody by the Sri Lankan forces. The arrested persons including daily paid workers, fishermen, and traders are said to be detained in Munthal Police Station.

The civilians injured in the attack were admitted to the government hospital. The victims were residents of Periya Kudiyiruppu, Al-Asra School Road, Jetty Street, Hospital Road and Main Street, according to civil sources.

A delegation of civil representatives, who went to meet SL military and police officials to protest against the arrest and forced closure of shops, were also attacked and abused by the SL forces, sources said.

The latest reports of SLN and STF attack on Muslims comes after Puththa'lam, a town in the Muslim dominated district, has been brought under the control of Sri Lankan armed forces following disturbances over the ‘grease devils’ widely alleged to be SL military men.

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