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November 18, 2005
Sri Lanka: Mosque Grenade Assault Kills Four
The Gadsen Times, from Associated Press sources, reports that during morning prayers today, a grenade was hurled into a mosque in eastern Sri Lanka, killing at least four worshippers.
Two grenades were thrown into the mosque in the town of Akkaraipattu in eastern Batticaloa district in Ampara province, 220 miles east of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. According to rediff, three people were killed and wounding at least 25 worshippers.
The assault happened a day after Muslims in the area resisted pressure from the Tamil Tigers, who were boycotting Thursday's presidential elections. Sporadic violence had already occurred in Ampara province. The presidential elections were the fifth in the country's history.
Deepika, from Reuters' sources stated that two people were killed and thirty wounded. Brigadier Nalin Witharanage stated that the assailants, who threw the grenades at about 5,15 am, were believed to be cadres of LTTE, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Khaleej Times states that four were killed, and quoted Deputy Inspector General of Police Nimal Lewke. who said that 10 people had been wounded, out of a congregation of 60.
In 1990, 130 Muslims were killed in two Mosques on the same day by Tamil separatists, who are mainly Hindu.
UPDATE: The death toll for the atrocity has now reached six. The Colombo Page reports that as wounded worshippers were taken to the Ampara hospital, two of the injured died. Among the 27 injured was a small child. The Colombo Page reports that the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) were responsible, an assumption made due to their history of agitation and atrocities in the town.
On 31 October, a Sinhalese rice mill worker with a Tamil wife, who opposed LTTE atrocities in the region, was shot dead by two LTTE gunmen.
A reader, Rajesh Suntharamoorthy of Lanka Update, has suggested that the mosque atackers were supporters of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (People's Liberation Front), a socalist party who also fought in the elections but fared badly. Rajesh suggests the attack was motivated by Tamil-speaking Muslims voting for the opposition candidate, Ranil Wickremesinghe, of the United National Front (UNP).
The ruling candidate, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, (UPFA) won 50.33 per cent of the vote. It is his 60th birthday today. Ranil Wickremesinghe has fought 13 elections now, and lost, and may be resigning from leadership of the UNP.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at November 18, 2005 12:16 AM
Comments
In celebrating their election victory, some JVP thugs threw a grenade into a mosque in Akkaraipattu killeing four Muslim devotees instantly and injuring twenty-one others at prayers, including a little child.
The attack is believed to be in retaliation for the Tamil speaking Muslims of this area voting overwhelmingly for the opposition candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe.
More on this news, and other events in Jaffna with photos
lankaupdate.blogspot.com
Posted by: Rajesh at November 18, 2005 9:33 AM
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