Later, it has been found that three members of the same group were killed in the terrorists' fire. Also, three of the rescued suffered injuries and were rushed to the General Hospital Vavuniya, the sources said.

The unhurt escapees have told the security forces that they were a group 14 Sinhalse fisherman who had been abducted by the LTTE terrorists while engaged in fishing in 20 Nautical Miles East of Puttlama and Kalpitiya on 10 February and 2 March 2007.

According to Army sources, the terrorists had first taken the abductees to Arippu by force and kept them under servitude in LTTE camps in the Vishwamadu area in Mullaitivu District. The group of fishermen who were residents of Tangalle, Kalpitiya and Negambo areas had to live under cruel and inhumane treatments in the hands of LTTE terrorists for over 13 months until the terrorist power started to deteriorate in the face of successful military operation by the security forces. A week ago, the abductees had escaped the terror clutches and braved thick jungles for over 70km to reach Omanthai this afternoon.

The sources said that two of the victims lost their lives on the way. One of them had fallen prey to a man eating crocodile and the other succumbed to injuries much later due to pestering wounds he had received in the same crocodile attack.

Once the abductees had reached Omanthai , a group of terrorists had opened fire at them killing three of them until army soldiers came to their rescue , said the sources.

The incident has been notified to the ICRC and the police is conducting further investigations, the sources added.

Courtesy - Sri Lanka Defence