Five farmers shot dead in north eastern Sri Lanka

Five farmers shot dead in north eastern Sri Lanka Colombo - Suspected Tamil rebels shot dead five farmers and injured two others in a remote village in north-eastern Sri Lanka, police said Wednesday.

The farmers were out on their fields in the Dehiwatta area of Serunuwara in the district of Trincomalee, 220 kilometres north-east of Colombo, Tuesday night to protect the crops from animal attacks when they were shot.

The hands of the farmers had been tied before they were shot, police said. The two surviving farmers are in serious condition and were brought to hospital.

The attack came as government troops said they were in the final phase of a major military drive to recapture the last ares held by rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the north-eastern part of the country.

In a separate incident a hand grenade was lobbed at a police guard post near a newspaper office in the northern town of Jaffna Tuesday, injuring one policeman and damaging the building, police said.

Police has been deployed at the office site as it has come under attack several times before. (dpa)

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