
Burnt and severed bodies of four missing persons discovered by parish priest of Pesalai, Mannar
Five people were reported missing in Pesalai on Friday following a cordon and search operation by SLA. Burnt and severed bodies of four of the missing were discovered on Sunday in a house in Pesalai.
SLA carried out the cordon and search operation following a claymore attack on security personnel on Thursday. As fully armed SLA moved in on Friday and began their aggressive and often violent search, frightened people in the “Hundred houses” housing scheme took refuge in Our Lady of Victory church in Pesalai. People soon discovered that five people from their housing scheme were missing. On Sunday, lead by the parish priest, Vincent Patrick, the people of the “Hundred Houses” housing scheme went back to their homes to recover some of their possessions. They discovered the burnt and severed bodies of four of the missing people in house number 45 of the “Hundred Houses” housing scheme. One was the body of a four year old boy. Mattresses and firewood in the houses have been used to burn the bodies. People also found bullet marks on the walls of the house. The four have been identified by the parish priest and people. They are Immanuel Cruz (38), his wife Anthoniamma Cruz (38), their neighbour Theresa (alias Suganthy) (40), and her son Dilexan (4). Bishop of Mannar, Rayappu Joseph, Mannar district Assistant Government Agent, Mrs Stanley de Mel, Mannar district Navy chief, Nihal Chandrasri, and members of SLMM went to the site and took photographs.
26 December 2005
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