Five killed in attack on ambulance

Aug 9, 2006 (AFP) - Five people including a doctor were killed when an ambulance was caught up in a mine attack carried out by government forces, Tamil Tiger rebels said.





A Claymore mine attack in the island's central district of Kandy killed a senior police commando officer and his driver on Monday. The blast hit the vehicle in an area held by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the guerrillas said in a statement.

"An ambulance returning to its base at Nedunkerni hospital ...

was attacked by a government of Sri Lanka deep penetration unit," the statement said. "Five people including all three health professionals in the vehicle were killed.







"

LTTE spokesman S. Puleedevan said a second attack took place around noon Wednesday a few kilometres (miles) away from where the ambulance was hit, but there were no casualties.

"A doctor and three others were travelling in a white pick up truck which came under a Claymore mine attack, but fortunately no one was hurt," Puleedevan said by telephone from his base in the rebel-held town of Kilinochchi.

The Tigers said the government had carried out the attacks after the guerrillas lifted a 19-day water block