Muslim workers massacred by rebels

Colombo, Sep 18: At least eleven Muslims workers were hacked to death in Sri Lanka's restive Eastern Amparai district this morning, village residents and sources said.

According to initial reports, the workers had gone out for some road development work about seven km north of Pottuvil town in a tractor yesterday.

''They must have been on their way back home when the incident happened. The villagers claim to have seen at least ten bodies strewn inside the jungle-like area with cuts and stab- wounds,'' a senior Muslim resident of Pottuvil told UNI by phone.

He said an injured with serious wounds had been rushed to the Pottuvil hospital.

''It is too early to say who carried out this annihilation although the people claim that it was the work of the LTTE.

The situation is a bit tense here,'' he said while declining to be named.

No further details were available.

UNI