The bodies of eight persons who were missing since yesterday at Wilpattu Wild Life Sanctuary have been recovered and identified by the Army in their operations launched in searching for the missing group. According to the Media Center for National Security the bodies were having gunshot injuries.

Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said that the troops are conducting limited operations in the area.

They have been identified as that of the Anuradhapura Area Commander   Lieutenant Colonel Jayantha Suraweera, Major P.D.F.A Jayaratne, Corporal Kapila Kumara and Private Suranga , the Officer in Charge of  Wild Life,  Mr Vasantha Pushpananda and trackers Mr. M.D Witharne, Khelum Jayawardena and Chandana Pradeep Navaratne.

According to the officials, these officers had entered the Wilpattu National Park on an inspection tour as a response to the request made by the wildlife officers to look in to the arriving of elephant's crossing over the Ikiriyagolla Tank.

The Army team had gone on this occasion to the Wilpattuwa Wild Life Park to make a feasibility study of how the Tank could be repaired to provide water and to assess the security situation.

This incident had occurred at the same location 25 kilometers inside the park where nine civilians were killed in a mine blast last year.