LTTE kills 10 civilians in Thanamalwila

Rafik JALALDEEN

Suspected LTTE cadres had killed 10 civilians from a remote village in the Kalawalgala area, Thanamalwila on Thursday night. The LTTE cadres who had been hiding in the Monaragala district had killed 10 villagers in Kalawagala, Thanamalwila on Thursday around 10.00 p.m.

“A group of armed LTTE cadres who had stormed the Mahawewa village in Kalawagala fired indiscriminately at a civilians’ gathering killing three and injuring three others,” Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told the Daily News.

The Security Forces and police who launched a search operation in the jungles recovered seven more bodies with gunshot injuries yesterday morning, Brigadier Nanayakkara said.

According to Brigadier Nanayakkara civilians from the village who tried to assist the Civil Defence Forces conducting the search operation were taken to the jungle and killed. “All the victims were males,” he added.

Following the twin bombs in Buttala security was intensified in the area by the Security Forces and police. The LTTE cadres who have no way to withdraw from the area after killing 27 civilians in a claymore mine attack, are hiding in jungle terrain and killing the civilians who had identified them.