2ND LEAD

SLA soldier shoots dead traveller on Poonakari Road

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 December 2011, 14:29 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army soldier, manning a check post on Poonakari Road, shot and killed a traveller on motorbike Thursday around 7:00 a.m. after demanding the traveller to hand over his motorbike, sources in Poonakari told TamilNet. The SLA soldier was reportedly killed in friendly-fire when he later confronted fellow soldiers, the sources further said. Tension prevailed in the area and the road remained closed for hours. Although the dead body of the SLA soldier was sent to Jaffna hospital and transferred to Palaali military hospital, the information or identity of the slain traveller is yet to be made public. SL military officials are yet to reveal details of the episode and journalists were blocked from reaching the site.

The SLA soldier at the bridge had demanded the motorbike from the young man who was on his way to Jaffna from Vanni.

When the man politely declined to hand over his motorbike saying that he was on an urgent trip to Jaffna, the soldier shot him, reportedly killing him on the spot.

After killing the traveller, the SLA soldier started to fire at his fellow soldiers, who attempted to control him.

When the situation got out of control, the SLA soldier was seriously wounded in the gunfire from fellow soldiers and later succumbed to his injuries.

The slain traveller was an innocent victim, according to the construction workers, who witnessed the episode.