CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

EIGHT ABDUCTED FISHERMEN BRAVE THROUGH JUNGLE AND CROCODILES AFTER WORKING 13 MONTHS IN SLAVERY BY THE TAMIL TIGERS

By Walter Jayawardhana

Abducted fishermen who had to work under slavery by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) escaped to freedom after braving through thick jungle and man eating crocodiles.

Military sources said, “ only eight survived after losing two and four respectively to crocodiles and Tamil Tiger sniper fire during the their successful attempt to escape out of the original 14 who were working in a LTTE slave camp.”

When they were rescued three out of the eight survived also have been injured by LTTE sniper fire and have been admitted to the Vavuniya hospital. The Sri Lanka Army said the dramatic rescue under a shower of bullets took place March 26, Vavuniya , in the war torn Northern Province.
They were first noticed by the Army while the escapees were trying to come out of jungle in the midst of LTTE fire power, three kilometres East of Omanthai , entry exit point. Troops fired back at the small arms firing LTTE terroriststs, and saved eight lives.

The surviving fishermen said they were abducted by the LTTE terrorists while out on fishing in the sea about 20 nautical miles East of Putlam and kalpitiya respectively February 10 and march
2007. They were in slavery for more than one year after being taken by force to Arippu employed in forced labour in the LTTE camps in the Vishwamadu , in the LTTE dominated Mulaitivu Distric in the northern Province of Sri Lanka.

The fishermen were hailing from the Southern and Western coast of Sri Lanka and were of the fishing villages of Tangalle, kalpitiya, and Negombo areas.

The survived fishermen said they survived under harsh conditions and worked outdoors for 13 months until the man power of the Tamil Tigers were lessening and the guard on them became lax. They said at the opportune moment, a week ago they escaped when the terrorists were distracted.
They had to walk more than 70 kilometres braving thick jungles sometimes marching across marshy land infested by man eating crocodiles.

The fishermen said one of them became the food of a crocodile and the other was severely injured by a crocodile who succumbed to the injuries later.

When they reached Omanthai, the fishermen said, they came under the fire of the LTTE but fortunately the army noticed this and fired back at the enemy.

The Army has informed the incident to the International Committee of Red Cross.

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