Three killed and scores are missing during the last 24 hours in Jaffna

Residents say children are reluctant to attend schools though the third term has started on 08 September.

Tamil Students Union (TSU) in Jaffna has earlier urged the students to boycott the schools until the A9 road is reopened.

Independent Students’ Union (ISU) in Jaffna, meanwhile, has urged the students to attend classes as the security situation ‘is getting improved’.

Teachers ‘threatened’

Local residents say security forces have threatened the ISU to make the statement.

Although the teachers are forced to report to work, no students were seen in the schools, they said.

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has arrested at least 12 refugees after rounding up the camp St Patrick School, in Jaffna on Friday morning.

Relatives have lodged a complaint at the Jaffna office of the Human Rights Commission.

In Pandathiruppu, two soldiers have sustained injuries as LTTE fired at them on Friday morning.

Civilians killed

Meanwhile, police said they found bodies of three farmers who were missing since Thursday morning.

Ayaathamby Kumarasingham, 46, father of two, Perampalam Lavakkumar, 27, and Selvadurai Kartheeswaran, 36, father of two, were arrested on Thursday by the SLA at a check point, relatives said.

Police told me that the bodies of the three were found near the church Pusari

They were going to the vegetable market to sell their crops.

The bodies had signs of torture and gunshot wounds, according to the relatives.

Mallakam magistrate Sarojini Ilangovan has begun an inquest into the murders.

Naguleswara Kurukal, Pusari at the Keeramalai temple told BBC Sinhala that he contacted officers at Chenthakulam SLA camp after requests from the relatives.

More youths missing

An officer of the camp has informed the priest that the farmers have handed over them to the police.

“Police told me that the bodies of the three were found near the church,” Pusari Kurukal told bbcsinhala.com.

He said the troops rounded up Anavilandam, in Vilavalai earlier this week after two soldiers were shot dead by the Tamil Tigers.

In Kattapirai, Iruvalai, three youth were missing since Tuesday.

Karnakulasingham Nishanthan, 27, Rajendran Pathmanadan and Rajendran Suresh Kumar were last seen in a playground in Iruvalai.