Three killed, two wounded in Trincomalee grenade attack

Colombo, July 3 (UNI) At least three people, including a police constable and a civilian, were killed and two soldiers wounded when suspected LTTE cadres hurled a powerful hand grenade at road-block manned by government security force personnel in the restive eastern port city of Trincomalee this morning, military here said.

The LTTE hurled a powerful hand grenade at a road-block located at the Anuradhapura junction near Trincomalee town this morning, killing a police constable, a home-guard and a civilian on the spot while wounding two army soldiers, Military Spokesman, Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe told UNI over phone.

In another incident in the restive Batticaloa district, suspected LTTE cadres have detonated a claymore mine targeting the elite Police Task Force personnel who were clearing the route at Kurukkalmadam this morning, seriously wounding two police personnel, he said.

The wounded police constables have been rushed to the nearby Batticaloa base hospital and the police was conducting search operation in the area.

Dehiwela police on information had recovered two communication equipments wrapped up in a parcel near a shopping compound.

Investigations are underway in this regard, Brig. Samarasinghe said.

Over 800 people, including civilians have been killed due to the escalation of violence since December last year after the government and the Tamil Tigers locked horns over the functioning of the Scandinavian truce monitoring mission, which has been effectively overseeing the four-year long shaky ceasefire.

UNI XC SY HS1415