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Mass burial in Batticoloa EPDP News
50 bodies of LTTE cadres, killed during Muthur clash, were buried at Vakarai and Kandalady areas in the uncontrolled area in Batticoloa. Six female cadres were among the bodies buried. Further 26 graves were dug in those areas, sources said. The information received further said more than 150 LTTE cadres were killed in the confrontation in Muthur.
Two shops went ablaze in Batticoloa
A wholesale shop on Mathew’s Road in Batticoloa caught fire at about 11.30 p.m. last night. The shop, namely Muruges Stores is a wholesale groceries shop and the damage caused by the fire is worth several lakhs of rupees. Cause for the fire was not found yet. Meanwhile, a textile shop near Hatton National Bank in Kattatankudy was set ablaze last night by some unknown elements. The owner of the shop, Mohamed Basheer, said that the fire brought him a loss of several lakhs.
18 thousand people take refuge in Kantalai Kinniya
More than 18 thousand Muslim people from Muthur vacated their homes and reached Kantalai and Kinniya and further 15 thousand people are stranded between Muthur and Kantalai for want of transport. These people were taking shelter in public places and under trees with lack of basic amenities for the last three days and a part of them managed to reach Kantalai and Kinniya. They were holding white flags on their way out of Muthur.
12,000 people, including 300 Sinhala people, reached Kantalai on Friday
The displaced persons from Muthur are sheltered in schools, sources said Muslim Ministers, at the direction of the President, made a special helicopter trip and met the displaced persons and gathered information on the situation. Muthur people explained to the Ministers the actual situation in their area. Meanwhile, the LTTE are believed to have blocked about 20 lorries, which were taking relief goods, for displaced persons, at Kantalai Junction.
Over 25 Muslims killed in Muthur
An Artillery shell fell on a school, where some Muslim displaced persons were sheltering, caused death to five Muslims yesterday, Friday. This unfortunate incident had occurred when the people were getting ready to leave Muthur. Further, more than 25 Muslims met their death during the shell fire in Muthur and Thoppur within the last three days and over 100 persons sustained injuries.
Mavilaru closure a cunning act of LTTE
The government was forced take action to open the Mavilaru anicut to provide the immediate need of water, one of the basic human rights of the people, President Mahinda Rajapakse said at the All Party Conference held yesterday. Briefing on the current situation, the President said that the government took all possible measures to make the LTTE re-open the anicut but it took the decision to use the forces as the efforts bore no fruits. The President also pointed out that the LTTE closed the anicut to force the government to war. The main objective of the All Party Conference is to receive advice from all political parties on the peace process. The Conference also discussed the government’s future plans in the midst of the prevailing situation.
LTTE target on Thallady Camp Commanding Officer failed
Military sources said that the LTTE’s attempt to assassinate the Commanding Officer of Thallady Camp in Mannar was foiled. LTTE made a claymore bomb attack, targeting the commanding officer of 212 Brigade in Thallady, around 11.30 a.m. Thursday, while he was on his way to Naruvilikulam on an official matter. But the bomb exploded after the officer passed the place and the officer was fortunate to escape the disaster.
Police cease a heavy load of weapon in Galle
Karandaiya Police were able to detect a cache of arms and explosives, hidden in a lorry bound to the South, at about 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, at the police check point opposite Bentola police station. The cache consisted of 100 Kgs of explosives, 2 claymores bombs, 3 T-56 rifles, 3 boxes of hand grenades, etc. Interrogations revealed that the two persons, the driver and the clearer are LTTE cadres and one of them is a suicide bomber, Chandimal Wickramathilake, the OIC of Bentola police said. The arms and explosives are believed to have transported from Kilinochchi to target very important persons and also to cause major damage in the South, sources said.
Muslims as human shields for LTTE
LTTE are blocking Muslim people, who want to leave Muthur, to use them as their human shields. 27 Muslim were killed and many others were injured by the present confrontation between the two sides. About 9000 persons have managed to escape from LTTE claws and have reached their safe places via Kantalai and Palan Thoppu and many more are continue to leave Muthur. But LTTE are trying their best to block the evacuees to keep them as their human shields. Some of them were believed to have been assaulted when they tried to leave. One of the displaced persons told that the people who are in the LTTE grip suffer without medical facilities, food and other facilities during an interview with a foreign broadcasting institution. LTTE’s inhumane act to block the evacuees is against all international laws, ceasefire agreements and conventions in the world, complained Muslim political parties.
50 Lankan arrived from Lebanon
Further 50, Lankan workers returned to the country due to mounting attacks by Israel on Lebanon. They arrived by two flights at about 9.00 a.m. last morning at Katunayake International Airport. Qatar airways flight brought 250 persons and 251 workers arrived by a UNCHR flight. The officials of Foreign Employment Bureau took charge to send these workers to their respective places. Meanwhile, effective measures are taken to evacuate all Sri Lankans
who are stranded in Lebanon. Arrangements are underway to bring them
back in the following week, M. Ansar, the Director General of Middle
Eastern affairs in the Foreign Ministry said. |
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