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Flare-up in Jaffna

V.S. Sambandan

COLOMBO: At least seven civilians and three soldiers were injured in violence in Sri Lanka's northern Jaffna town on Monday, the army said. There are conflicting reports on the nature of the unrest and the number of those injured. According to reports from Jaffna, Monday's tension started after a group of students from Jaffna University took out a procession demanding an end to "harassment by security forces." A clash between the protesters and the security forces resulted in troops "opening fire in the air," the army said. Jaffna town has been on the boil for the past two weeks, with an assortment of attacks and protests by a suspected LTTE front organisation. There are also reports of a "civilian militia", reportedly trained by the LTTE, operating in the northern peninsula. Redeployment of security forces from Jaffna has been a key LTTE demand.

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