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Fourteen killed

Fourteen persons including a seven-year-old boy were reported killed during yesterday's poll, the Police Election Secretariat said.

The killings were reported from Puttalam, Hambantota, Kandy, Matale and Ratnapura districts. This brings the total number of persons killed during the campaign and polling to 44. Most of the victims were PA supporters.

Seven people who were travelling in a vehicle were killed in the Katugastota area last evening but Police did not confirm the reaons for this accident. Police said another three who sustained severe injuries were admitted to the Kandy hospital. Several grenades have been found in the van.

The seven-year-old boy was shot dead in crossfire between rival supporters at Masjid Lane, Puttalam around 1.30 p.m. yesterday. His grandmother A.A.Azia Umma was critically injured, our Puttalam District correspondent said.

One person was killed when police fired at a group of intruders who tried to take away a ballot box from a polling booth in Kottamulla, Puttalam. The deceased has not been identified yet.

Our Tissamaharama special correspondent reported that a UNP supporter in Tissamaharama identified as U.N. Athula of the Lunugamvehera re-settlement project was shot dead yesterday evening when a UNP convoy was attacked by a group of gunmen.

When the injured the incident were admitted to the Lunugamvehera Hospital, a mob of around 300 people tried to storm the hospital. Police used teargas to disperse the mob.

PAFFREL Executive Director Kingsley Rodrigo said polling was conducted peacefully around the country except for incidents in Kandy, Puttalam, Matale, Kurunegala and Hambantota.

CMEV co-convenor described the election as the most violent one she had seen. Observers were intimidated at certain polling booths in the North Western Province.

Some incidents were reported from Batticaloa, Vavuniya and Trincomalee.

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