Violence mars poll in Batticaloa

by Ranil Wijayapala

Two people were killed and six others, most of them children were critically injured yesterday when a powerful claymore mine accidentally exploded in the hands of two Tamil youth in Padirippu, Kalmunai.

According to military sources, seven of the eight injured in the bomb explosion are children.

They are being treated at the Kalmunai hospital. Most of them have burn injuries.

According to Police sources, the bomb exploded around 1.30 p.m. as two Tamil youth suspected to be from the LTTE were testing the claymore mine.

According to sources the duo identified as Niroshan and Sathyan had been setting a claymore mine inside the house of a baker, Saundaree Murugaiah of Thopur street when the mine unexpectedly exploded killing both of them and injuring six others in the house including children and women.

The adjoining house has also been severely damaged.

According to Police, the bomb could have caused massive destruction if it exploded in populous area.

Meanwhile, the Counting Centre at Batticaloa Hindu College came under a hand grenade attack injuring two policemen and a civilian, military sources said yesterday.

Two civilians were also injured as a grenade was hurled at a polling booth in Chenkaladi, Batticaloa.

According to military sources elections day was marred by violence in Batticaloa as three other polling booths at Valachchenai Hindu College, Pudukuduiruppu, Sunnakarni Cooperative Building, Kalkudah Namalgal Vidyalaya and Batticaloa Kiran Vidyalaya came under hand grenade attacks between 11.30 am to 2.00 pm yesterday.

The sources also added that the Pusari of the Kalmunai Hindu Kovil was attacked by unidentified gunmen suspected to be from the LTTE around 10.30 a.m. as he returned from the polling booth at Islamabad Muslim Vidyalaya after casting his vote.

He was admitted to the Ashraff memorial hospital in Kalmunai in a serious condition, military sources added.

Four soldiers and one Policeman received serious injuries as a result of LTTE attacks while one civilian was killed on the eve of elections day in the Eastern district of Batticaloa.

A guardpoint of the soldiers providing security to a polling station in the general area of Iridiyapuram, Batticaloa came under LTTE grenade attack causing injuries to three soldiers, Private W.G.C.K Chandrasena, Private P.S.P.Pathirana and Private H.K. Manoj Randika around 8.30 p.m. on Wednesday night.

In another similar grenade attack by two motorbike-riding LTTE men, one soldier and a Police Constable guarding a polling station in the general area of Kulawadikolani in Batticaloa received injuries on Wednesday night around 8.25 p.m.

Police Constable G.D.C. Jayaratne and Private M.M. Saman Nalinda were admitted to Batticaloa with severe injuries after the grenade explosion.

In addition to these in incidents within a span of five minutes on Wednesday (16) night similar incidents were reported in Puthunagar, Batticaloa. No damage or injuries were reported.

In addition to the hand grenade attacks suspected LTTE men in Batticaloa also attempted to disrupt normality in Batticaloa and sabotage the electoral process by blocking the vehicles carrying ballot boxes to polling centres in the district.

One such incident was reported from the Palayadithonai Tamil Mixed School in Batticaloa on Wednesday (16) around 4.15 p.m. However, Security Forces in the area were able to retaliate and the LTTEers fled the area.

LTTE gunmen hiding at the Nallur Kovil premises opened fire towards the troops on duty at Arasady junction on Wednesday night in Nallur but failed in their effort.