Death squad
THE bullet-ridden bodies of Sivarasa Krishna and Palanivel Gunasingham were found at Selvanayagapuram in Trincomalee on 29 May. The two Tamil youths had been abducted in a white van the previous night from Anbuvalipuram.
White vans are associated with military death squads and a number of people abducted have disappeared. Tamil MP M Chandrakumar says in a letter to President Chandrika that white vans are creating widespread fear and has called for immediate inquiry.
Observers say abductions are the ArmyÆs response to Tiger attacks. Trincomalee MP Sunil Shantha Ranaweera says LTTE has increased terror attacks in the District. The Tigers move easily under cover of darkness in rural areas and after the fall of Jaffna have pledged to intensify attacks in the east. The LTTE blasted two electricity towers on 3 May plunging entire Trincomalee in darkness.
A policeman was killed and another injured in a LTTE attack on the Thoppur police station, 20km south of Trincomalee town, on the following day. The Tigers ambushed an Army patrol at Mavilaru further south on 17 May killing a soldier. Two policemen were injured when the Tigers shelled the Pulmoddai police station on 18 May. Six soldiers died on the same day in another attack on the Kivulkade Army camp. In a fierce clash following a LTTE raid on Meegasgodella Army camp on 27 May eight soldiers and 18 Tigers died.
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