THREE MILITARY OFFICERS KILLED NINE OTHER SOLDIERS AND TWO POLICE CONSTABLES INJURED IN A JAFFNA CLAYMORE ATTACK
(By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles)
Captain E.R.S.H.P.A. SIRIWARDENE, Lieutenant P.G.S.G. KUMARA and Lance Corporal U.S. THILAKARATHNE died at Palaly military hospital succumbing to injuries in a LTTE claymore bomb attack at Maradana Madam in Jaffna.
The troops returning home on leave were injured in the deadly attack along with nine other soldiers and two police constables, July 19, the Sri Lanka Army said.
Two more army soldiers and a police constable whose condition was critical were airlifted to the National Hospital Colombo.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam targeted the three army officers, two police constables and nine soldiers while they were traveling in an army bus to take a plane to Colombo on home leave.
It is believed the claymore mine, tied to a wayside tree, was remotely detonated by hiding LTTE terrorists when the army vehicle passed the spot at Maradana Madam Center at 11.05 a.m. on Chunnakam Road, on their way to the Palaly military airport where a plane was waiting for them.
During the last few weeks the LTTE, allegedly breaking the ceasefire agreement, entered the Sri Lanka Government controlled areas targeting security vehicles and troops on foot patrol engaged in road clearing duties. The main weapons used in these attacks were claymore mines. On the previous day two more claymore mines left by the LTTE injured more Tamil civilians than security personnel for whom they were intended. In an Anpuvallipuram incident, near Trincomalee, all who were injured were some innocent Tamil women who were engaged in a shramadana work, a volunteer cleaning up program of their town. In the other incident at Kodikamam a Tamil civilian died, another wounded along with 4 soldiers.(
