Two fishermen killed in SLA ambush

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 June 2000, 05:54 GMT]
Two men from Kalmadhu refugee camp in Valaichenai who were on their way to go fishing in Punaanai lagoon early morning Saturday were killed when Sri Lanka Army soldiers opened fire, said survivors of the incident.

Witnesses said an SLA ambush unit hiding behind bushes fired at them, killing their two colleagues, Sinnathamby Selvarajah, 28 and Kanthavanam Mangalan, 30.

The police handed over the bodies to Polonnaruwa hospital where a postmortem was held. The bodies were later brought to the Batticaloa hospital.

Relatives collected the bodies and cremated them Monday evening.

Villagers from Vadamunai, Punaanai and Oothuchenai, villages located in the border with Polonnaruwa district, have been living in the Kalmadhu refugee camp for nearly ten years. Many of them fish in the Punaanai lagoon for their living.