Civilians assaulted in retaliation

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Tamil ex-militants working with the Sri Lankan military intelligence and the Special Task Force in Batticaloa beat up several civilians who were passing through the Manmunai ferry this morning.

This was in retaliation to the killing of Sinnavan yesterday by suspected members of the Liberation Tigers said some civilians who through the Manmunai ferry point today.

Sinnavan's funeral was arranged at the Siripala building in Batticaloa town which is occupied by the much feared Mohan group which operates with the Sri Lankan army's intelligence unit in Batticaloa.

The Mohan group has been named by human rights groups for disappearances, murder and extortion in Batticaloa.

The army and the Razeek group arrested a male and female last night during a nocturnal foray into Mankikkaddu, about five kilometers north west of Batticaloa, across the lagoon.

The identity of the two is not known. Army and Razeek group say they are Tiger suspects.

Meanwhile, about thirty kilometers south of Batticaloa the Sri Lankan Police in Neelavanai cut off the supply of water to Thuraineelavanai, a densely populated but dry village on a promontory in the lagoon to punish people there for an attempt by the LTTE on Monday night to attack their camp.

The attack did not materialise, according to sources, because the Police had runaway from the Neelavanai camp with their weapons into the adjacent Muslim village of Maruthamunai.

The water tank which supplies Thuraineelavanai is under the control of the Police at Neelavanai.