Two policemen injured in LTTE shooting
 

by Ranil Wijayapala

Two Policemen, one from Jaffna Police and the other from the CID, were injured yesterday as LTTE fired at the Police and CID team engaged in a search operation to arrest the suspects in the DIG Charles Wijewardena murder case, Police and Military sources said yesterday.

The LTTE fired at the Police and CID team near the Jaffna University in a bid to foil Police attempts to arrest the suspects, sources said. The Police and CID team acting on a tip off earlier arrested Weerapandian alias Gopi, a suspected LTTE intelligence operative in connection with the murder case.

The Police and CID teams were engaged in this search operation on a tip-off given by this suspect. A group of LTTE men hiding inside a house in the area have escaped after firing at the Police team who went there to arrest those suspects, sources added. A Sergeant from Jaffna Police and a Constable from the CID injured in the incident were admitted to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

They were due to be transferred to the Colombo National hospital later in the afternoon. The Police and CID are investigating to arrest the suspects in the DIG Wijewardena murder case.

He was found hacked to death by suspected LTTE instigated mobs in Jaffna following the commotion over the accidental death of a civilian at Inuvil, Jaffna, around two weeks ago. Meanwhile, two Policemen on a foot patrol at Irudiyapuram in Batticaloa were injured when the LTTE fired at them. The unidentified LTTE men had fired on the Police foot patrol around 8.30 pm on Tuesday by using small arms and hand grenades, military sources added.

The two Policemen, Sergeant A.M. Gunaratne and Police Constable A. Dissanayake were admitted to the Batticaloa hospital, sources added.