3 arrested in Vavuniya over bag with grenades

<p>Two Tamil men and a woman have been arrested in relation to the military search conducted in Vavuniya last week.&nbsp;</p> <p>A Tamil youth from Nedunkeni, Karthik and a 20 year old man from Alamkulam, Jegatheeswaran Kajendran, and a 35 year old woman from Puthukkulam, Tharshiny Srikanth were arrested on Sunday.&nbsp;</p> <p>Kajendran is accused of possessing a locally made hunting gun.&nbsp;</p> <p>Srikanth was arrested when police officers arrived at her house searching for her husband. When she told them she did not know where her husband was, officers took her and her 10 year old daughter to the station.&nbsp;</p> <p>There was a tense situation in Vavuniya last week Tuesday, after soldiers and Special Task Force (STF) officers conducted a search operation in Puthur for a suspect.&nbsp;</p> <p>The accusation against the suspect has not been revealed, however police claimed that the operation followed a tip off regarding a suspect in the area, who reportedly escaped after throwing his bag into the bushes. The bag contained a pistol, four hand grenades, two mobile phones and bullets, the police said.&nbsp;</p> <p>The police claim the two phones belong to a former LTTE cadre from Vavuniya, who has not been named.&nbsp;</p> <p>Local residents and civil society organisations have expressed alarm at the extensive deployment of military personnel during the search, as well as the wider routine targetting of former cadre.&nbsp;</p>