Soldier killed

Rafik Jalaldeen

BATTICALOA: A soldier was killed when LTTE cadres fired small arms at army guard point near the Chenkaladi market yesterday morning, the Media Centre for National Security said.

A spokesman from the MCNS said the LTTE terrorists fire indiscriminately at the Army post near the Chenkaladi market. "The army did not retaliate due to the high civilians presence in the vicinity", he added.

The LTTE terrorists are carrying out such surprise attacks in populated areas in Batticaloa with the intention of causing tension among civilians and disturb normal life, the MCNS spokesman said.

He said the Security Forces received information that the LTTE cadres sneaked in from the Thoppigala area to carry out sporadic attacks. In the recent past the tiger cadres intensified attacks on military installations from the Thoppigala area.

Over 2,900 civilians entered to the cleared areas from the grip of the LTTE in Thoppigala, he added.