Tamil newspaper office attacked in northern Sri Lanka

An unidentified gang has attacked the office of a Tamil newspaper in northern Sri Lanka on Wednesday, the police said.
The police said the office of the Jaffna-based Tamil language Uthayan newspaper in Kilinochchi was attacked early this morning by an unknown gang. At least three people including two paper distributors and the Kilinochchi office manager have received injuries in the attack while the building and a vehicle were damaged. The injured have been admitted to the hospital. Media reports said when the newspapers to be distributed were about to be unloaded at the Kilinochchi office the unidentified gang approached the office, located on the Jaffna-Kandy road, and attacked the staff with poles and damaged the office property. Police said the extent of the damage has not yet been determined. The Kilinochchi police are conducting further investigations, police said. The Uthayan is a Jaffna-based Tamil newspaper which has survived for a long time amidst repeated attacks by unidentified groups in the past. In January this year a four unidentified assailants attacked the distributor of The Uthayan in Jaffna and set fire to the newspapers and the motorcycle he was riding. In July 2011, News Editor of the newspaper, Gnanasundaram Kanaganathan was brutally attacked by a group of unidentified men. In 2006, an armed group attacked the office in Jaffna and killed two employees. -->