Vanni Van bombing

Vanni Van bombing
Location	Kilinochchi, Vanni, Sri Lanka
Date	May 23, 2008 14:15 (UTC+5:30)
Attack type	Remote bombing
Weapons	Claymore Mine
Deaths	16
Injured	19
Perpetrators	Sri Lankan Army

The Vanni Van bombing, also referred to as the Murukandy claymore attack, was the bombing of a private van on May 23, 2008 which killed sixteen civilians, including five children. A local Human rights organization, NESOHR alleged that the attack was carried out by the Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lankan army.

Background

There had been series of attacks on LTTE commanders and Tamil civilians living in the rebel controlled Vanni region allegedly by the Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lankan army^[1]

Incident

The incident took place when a private van was hit by a claymore mine when it was returning from the Akkaraayan hospital to Kilinochchi on Murikandy -Akkaraayan Road on the May 23, 2008 at 2.15 in the afternoon. The Pro-LTTE NESHOR claimed that the attack was carried out by the Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lankan army.^[2] Tamilnet, a pro-rebel news website, claimed that earlier in the same day an ambulance was targeted in a similar fashion. It further claimed that the Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lankan army was responsible for both attacks.^[3]^[4]

References

^ Sri Lanka claims killing of Tiger military intelligence head
^ Murukandy claymore attack
^ Fisheries director killed, DPU attack targets ambulance
^ 16 civilians killed in DPU attack in Vanni, 5 children, 7 females among victims

Sri Lankan Civil War (1983–2009)

Origins

Combatants

Sri Lanka	Army (LRRP) Navy Air Force Police Special Task Force Home Guards Attacks on civilians Assassinations
LTTE	Divisions Air Tigers Sea Tigers Black Tigers Attacks in the 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Assassinations Suicide bombings
Other militants (list)	ENDLF ENLF EPRLF EROS PLOTE TELO
India	Indian Peace Keeping Force
Paramilitary groups	EPDP TMVP

Phases

Major battles

Major events

Leaders

Sri Lanka

Military

Army	Tissa Weeratunga Nalin Seneviratne Hamilton Wanasinghe Cecil Waidyaratne G. H. De Silva Rohan Daluwatte Srilal Weerasooriya L. P. Balagalle Shantha Kottegoda Sarath Fonseka
Navy	Asoka de Silva H. A. Silva Clancy Fernando D. A. M. R. Samarasekara H. C. A. C. Thisera Daya Sandagiri Wasantha Karannagoda
Air Force	Dick Perera Andibuduge Fernando Makalandage Gunawardena Oliver Ranasinghe Jayalath Weerakkody Donald Perera Roshan Goonetileke

Civilian

LTTE

Militant	Velupillai Prabhakaran Pottu Amman Soosai Karuna Amman
Political	Selvarasa Pathmanathan Anton Balasingham S. P. Thamilselvan

India

Military	Harkirat Singh Ashok K. Mehta Kulwant Singh Depinder Singh Dalvir Singh Krishnaswamy Sundarji
Civilian	R. Venkataraman Rajiv Gandhi V. P. Singh Jyotindra Nath Dixit J. Jayalalithaa M. Karunanidhi Vaiko