Kantalai LTTE blast
On this day, exactly 24 years ago in another dark episode of LTTE
brutality, the Tiger terrorists massacred 24 innocent civilians setting
off a landmine in Sittaru, Kantalai. The dead comprised eight Sinhalese
and 16 Muslims. This was a period when the LTTE brutality was at its
worst since the outfit was forced to carry out its campaign of mayhem
outside the Northern theatre due to the presence of the IPKF in their
stronghold.
The period was marked by raids on isolated hamlets in the North
Central Province where entire villages were mowed down in bestial
attacks. The LTTE also stepped up attacks on civilian targets in the
capital city creating a fear psychosis among the population. Bomb
explosions in public transport were frequent during this period. |
