Top Tiger commander, three others killed in Claymore blast

A top Tamil rebel commander and three other guerrillas were killed in a mine blast in the northwest on Saturday, a pro-rebel report said, as surging violence threatened to drag the island nation back to full-scale civil war. Pro-rebel Web site TamilNet reported that Lt. Col. Mahenthi was killed by an anti-personnel mine activated by the government military in a rebel-held region of Mannar. Military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe denied army involvement in the blast, saying the soldiers did not enter rebel-controlled areas in accordance with a 2002 cease-fire agreement. Mahenthi was the second high profile rebel to be killed since May. Also on Saturday, a gunman boarded a passenger bus and fatally shot a Tamil man and a 10-year-old boy in the North East, a government source disclosed. Another passenger was critically wounded in the shooting at Muttur, the Media Centre for National Security said. Meanwhile nine civilians were injured in a grenade explosion at the Thirunelvely market, North of Jaffna town, around 10.15 a.m. yesterday. The wounded were brought to the Jaffna teaching hospital yesterday morning. V.Sivanathan (23), Jaffna town, N.Vijeyakumar (40), Kokkuvil, N. Uthayakumar (34), Allaipiddy, V.Sivashanthini (24), Arasady Road, Urumparai, A.Murugamoorthy (45), Thirunelvely, T.Thivakaran (26), Kokkuvil, A. Prsanth (13), Thirunelvely, K. Vanthan (23), Palaly road, Thirunelvely and T. Raventhirarasa (40), Kokkuvil were identi fied as those injured in the blast, according to sources. (http://www.dailymirror.lk/2006/06/12/news/06.asp)