Deep penetration group ambush wounds 4 civilians [TamilNet, February 20, 2001 19:21 GMT]

Four civilians were wounded when the tractor in which they were travelling was hit by claymore mine triggered by a Sri Lanka Army deep penetration team in the Vaakarai region, about 75 km. north of Batticaloa local residents said. The incident occurred at Kathiraveli-Kattumurivu Kulam road, in the LTTE held area, around 3 p.m. Saturday.
LTTE members who searched the area following the blast recovered another mine placed on a tree, grenades and a water can used by Sri Lanka Army troops, the residents said.
Wounded civilians were brought to Valaichenai hospital and transferred to Batticaloa for further treatment.
The wounded were identified as: K.Raveendran,49, I.Arumanayakam,46, Jeevan Ramesh,23 and T.Kopalapillai,34.
Special deep penetration teams of the SLA regularly infiltrate the large hinterland in Batticaloa's northern sector from the Sinhala majority district of Polonnaruwa to interdict the LTTE's mobility in these parts and to search and destroy the organisation's supply and training camps.
On 22 May 2001 four civilians were shot dead by a SLA deep penetration team Mathurankerni Kulam, 70 kilometres north of Batticaloa.
On 2 April 2001 five civilians were abducted by a SLA deep penetration team near Kattumurivu Kulam in the same area.
Later on 25 April nine civilians, including three women who were engaged in Chena cultivation (slash and burn) were arrested in Kaaverikulam, which lies close to Kattumurivu Kulam and Mathurankerni Kulam.
The hinterlands of the Batticaloa district's northern sector are large and are contiguous with the Polonnaruwa district. The SLA regularly sends into this region special deep penetration teams to harass and assassinate senior members of the Liberation Tigers who run training and logistical bases here.
On 14 June, the leader of the LTTE's political wing for the Batticaloa and Ampara district was killed when the claymore blast hit the motorbike on which he was riding with a colleague. The attack took place at Vaathakkalmadu in Nallathanni Odai, about 36 kilometres south west of Batticaloa.
On 29 June, two LTTE members including a senior leader of the Sea Tigers (LTTE's naval unit), Lt.Col.Kangai Amaran were killed in an ambush by the SLA at Aanaivilunthan in the LTTE held area in Mannar district.
On 16 May a convoy of the Liberation Tigers in which Mr. S.P Thamil Chelvan, organisation's political wing leader, was travelling towards Mallavi where he was scheduled to meet Norwegian Peace envoy Mr. Eric Solheim was hit near Kokkavil, 7 km. north of Mankulam. However, Mr. Mr. Thamil Chelvan's vehicle escaped the attack.