Ignores calls for peace

LTTE kills nine sailors

by Ananth Palakidnar

Nine sailors were killed and eight injured in an LTTE claymore mine blast in Chettikulam on the Mannar-Medawachchiya road at 4.15 p.m. yesterday.

According to the Navy Media Unit, the incident occurred at the 18th mile post in Chettikulam.

The sailors were travelling in three buses from the Pandukabhaya Navy Camp at Punewa towards the Gajaba and Thamenna Navy camps in Mannar when they were ambushed.

The bus carrying 19 sailors ripped apart when the claymore mine exploded. Nine of the 19 sailors were killed and eight others were injured. Two sailors escaped unhurt.

The injured sailors were rushed to the Anuradhapura General Hospital, sources said.

This was the second attack on the Navy in a week following the attack on a Naval Dvora patrol craft in Trincomalee on Saturday where 13 sailors were killed.

Earlier, 13 sailors were killed in a claymore mine blast at Nadukkuda, Mannar on December 23. The sailors killed in the attack were returning to their homes for the Christmas holidays, Navy sources said.

With yesterday's attack, the number of Armed Forces personnel killed during the past one month has gone upto 76 despite the Ceasefire Agreement signed in 2002. Along with the deaths of Armed Forces personnel, 125 people have been killed in a wave of violence which has escalated in the latter part of last year, sources said.

Meanwhile, it was reported that two members of the Denmark Demining Movement 'Dennis' on their way to Jaffna were abducted by the LTTE on Wednesday. The two were identified as Thambiah Thomas and Nagamurthy Kandipan.

Govt condemns attack

The Government yesterday strongly condemning the LTTE attack said this was another in a series of hostile acts mounted on the Security Forces by the LTTE in the North and East over the last few weeks in blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.

A release said this attack had come at a time when President Mahinda Rajapakse was making a sincere effort to consult with political parties and the facilitator to move the peace process forward.

The Government also expressed its condolences to families of the Navy personnel killed in the attack.