Three civilians killed

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 July 1999, 11:08 GMT]
Sri Lankan state radio today blamed the Liberation Tigers for the attacks on a van and a double cab that were travelling along the Namal Oya road to Ratmalgahawela, in which three civilians were killed.

Sri Lanka Army sources, however, said four civilians were shot dead by unidentified gunmen and the two vehicles in which they were travelling to Ampara from Bibile in were set on fire on Monday night at about 9 pm.

The sources said the attackers numbered around 150.

There were eight people in the two vehicles, they said. The other four escaped.

Amparai is a predominantly Sinhalese district, having been extensively colonised in the past two decades, and has a strong Sri Lankan military presence.

Elsewhere, a public transport bus belonging to the Kebetigollewa depot, that was travelling along the Thanthirimala road in Anuradhapura was stopped and set alight this morning by ten youths.

Unidentified men also destroyed a telephone pylon last night that was constructed to provide communications to the rural area of Cheddikulam, about 15 km. southwest of Vavuniya.

There was an explosion in front of the official residence of the secretary of the North-East provincial council, at Central road, Trincomalee at 8:00 p.m. last night.

No one was hurt.

The police are trying to establish whether there was a connection between the bomb last night and a threatening phone received by the secretary to the rehabilitation ministry last week.