Two soldiers killed as army vehicle crashes in Mullaitivu

The Sri Lankan military announced that two soldiers had been killed after a military vehicle lost control and crashed in Mullaitivu last week.

At least four other soldiers were injured in the collision, which happened on the Nedunkeni road in Mullaitivu last Monday.

The two soldiers were reportedly from a special commando unit from Vavuniya who had been providing protection for the Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena, as he visited the Tamil North-East.

Mullaitivu is one of the most heavily militarised districts in the North-east, with a report from Jaffna-based think tank the Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research finding that tens of thousands of troops were station in the region, with as many as one soldier for every two civilians there.

Military vehicles have also frequently been involved in deadly collisions in the region, with Tamil civilians having been killed as a result.