Sri Lankan ICRC staffer killed in Iraq

[July 23, 2003 - 11.00 GMT] 

An aid worker from Sri Lanka was shot dead while his Iraqi driver was wounded when assailants attacked their Red Cross vehicle on Tuesday. Nadeesha Ranmuthu, a 37-year-old computer technician, joined the ICRC in Sri Lanka - in 1992. He leaves behind his wife and a 3-year-old child.

“The ICRC and its staff are deeply distressed by the death of Mr. Ranmuthu and extend their heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends,'' the agency said.

The Swiss-based humanitarian agency said that the vehicle had been clearly marked with the ICRC’s red emblems. It was not known who was responsible for the shooting. Troops from the U.S.-led coalition have been hit by a string of attacks since the war on Iraq ended officially. Aid workers have increasingly been targeted in recent weeks and their agencies have expressed concern about fragile security in Iraq.

Ranmuthu is the second ICRC staffer to die in Iraq this year. In April, Vatche Arslanian, a 48-year-old Canadian, was killed in crossfire as American forces closed in on Baghdad.

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Last Updated Date: July 23, 2003  -11.00 GMT.