Four killed in LTTE attack in Vavuniya

“A civilian bus driver and three other security personnel including two female Home Guards were killed in an LTTE small arms attack at a road block at Sumathipura, Ullukkulama in Vavauniya today (20) at 01.50 pm”, military surds said.

According to the source, an organised LTTE group heavily armed in a Jeep, opened fire indiscriminately at the combinely operated Police and Home Guard road block at Ullakkulama. A civilian bus driver caught in the LTTE assault was killed initially.

A Police constable and a female home guard also received injuries in this incident. In a search operation conducted subsequently in the area a grenade launcher and a pistol were uncovered by the security forces.

Meanwhile at least one soldier was killed during a mortar attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) towards the security forces’ FDL (forward defence line) in the Vavuniya district on August 19, according to military source.

In a similar incident a day earlier, LTTE cadres fired mortars towards troops engaged in route clearing operation in the Neelachchenai area of Mannar district. Troops successfully repulsed the attack and also recovered three anti-personnel mines (APMs) mines from the area.

On the same day, troops recovered ten micro pistols, 11 micro pistol magazines, three browning pistols with magazines, one rifle with silencer, 18 communication sets with 53 antennae, vehicle mounted communication equipment with antennae, 278 maps of some areas including Panama, Padiyatalawa, Ampara, Kalmunai, Mahaoya, Batticaloa, Wilpattu, Puttalam etc., one hundred and twenty four T-56 magazine pouches and one rocket propeller gun from the Aliyaodai area in Batticaloa district. Further, on August 19, troops also recovered 15 magazines, 20 military manuals translated into Tamil language, 135 video cassettes, 13 CDs and three audio cassettes from the Thoppigala area.

Separately, troops recovered one claymore mine from the Pattankadu area in Vavuniya district. One 60-mm mortar bomb was recovered from the Irasenthikulam area of the same district. Elsewhere, SFs recovered fifteen APMs from the Kaddaperiyakulam area on August 18.

At Kattiaratan in the Jaffna district, troops recovered two 120-mm mortars trapped to an APM.