Attack on Jaffna Intelligence Unit officers ... not a 'Return'

Two days after the 2 campus students in Jaffna died from police gunfire some days back, 2 government Intelligence Unit officers (SIS) dressed in civil clothes who were riding a motor bicycle were subjected to a sword attack today (23) in Chunnakam, Jaffna. Nimal Bandara and P.S. Navaratna who sustained injuries from this attack have been admitted

to Jaffna Teaching Hospital and hospital sources have said that their condition is not that serious.

The said attack has been launched by a clique known as 'Kadu gansia' (sword gang) who are involved in looting in Jaffna according to latest information received. It has been interpreted elsewhere that this incident is a 'Return' given because of the incident where the university students were killed and this incident also took place close to each other. However, a senior police officer emphasised that this incident was not committed as a result of a group of people who were angered because of the deaths of the two students who died from police gunshots in Jaffna.

The aforesaid attack has been made by 2 gangsters who had come on a motor cycle with no number-plates after looting a textile shop in Chunnakam, Jaffna. As the 2 police officers had closed in upon the place of looting at the time the looting was in operation, they had become victims of this attack. This 'kadu gansia' of Jaffna have been reputed to be involved in daily looting sprees during the past, it was reported and other than this isolated incident in Chunnakam, there is no other state of commotion anywhere else, police say.