Government Defence spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella addressing a press briefing in Colombo this morning (30) said that neither the Army nor any other section of the security forces were involved in the claymore attack at Palampiddi, near Madhu, deep inside LTTE-controlled area, yesterday afternoon killing 17 persons, including school children and injuring 17 others. Categorically refuting claims by the LTTE and certain media sources sympathetic to them that the Army was behind the attack Minister Rambukwella said that it happened in an area where there is no armed confrontation between the LTTE and the security forces and as such it is a ploy by the LTTE to discredit the Armed forces.
 
Referring to Bishop Rayappu's statement that the perpetrators could have been identified had the SLMM were present, the Minister told the media that such attacks took place while they were in the country but they could not find out who the perpetrators were. The SLMM was largely confined to giving statistics and was not mandated to take any punitive measures, even if they identified the culprits, the Minister added.
 

PRINT THIS STORY

Contact Information: Send mail to priu@presidentsoffice.lk with questions or comments about this web site. 
Last Updated Date: January 30, 2008 - 8.55 GMT