S P O T L I G H T

10 killed in LTTE attacks
COLOMBO, Nov 30 (PTI) — Suspected LTTE rebels today blew up a military truck and later ambushed another vehicle, killing 10 Sri Lankan security personnel, a Defence Ministry spokesman said. The Tigers set off a powerful landmine in northern Sri Lanka targeted at the truck, in which six soldiers were killed and 17 others injured, Sanath Karunaratne said. An army officer was among those killed in the attack at Parayanakulam, located between Mannar and Vavuniya in Wanni district, he said. In a second ambush, LTTE fired at sailors travelling in a vehicle in the north-eastern Trincomalee district, killing four and injuring six others, he said.

16 massacred in Assam
GUWAHATI, Nov 30 (UNI) — Suspected ULFA militants gunned down 16 non-Assamese and critically injured 12 others in three separate places of Assam’s Bongaogain district this evening. The police here said eight persons, including five Biharis, were shot dead and 12 others critically wounded in the Dangtal area of the district. The critically injured were hospitalised. At the same time, the ultras mowed down five persons Birjur tea estate of the district. The victims were suspected to be tea labourers. Three persons were also gunned down at Bakalgaon under the Abhayapuri police station in the district. The militants used AK series of rifles in all three incidents.

4 die in clash
CHENNAI, Nov 30 (UNI) — Four fishermen were killed and 11 others were injured in a fierce clash between fishermen of two nearby colonies at Palavanthangal in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu early today. According to the Tiruvallur police, the clash erupted over a dispute relating fishing rights in the coastal waters near their colonies. Fishermen of one colony attacked those belonging to the other with petrol bombs and hacked the four victims to death.