July 27, 2002	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 16,1423

COLOMBO, July 26: The LTTE gunmen shot dead a Sri Lankan soldier on Thursday when he ventured into the Zone of Separation in the Jaffna Peninsula.

“The reasons for this crossing remain totally unknown to both the parties. Between 12.00 and 13.00, the soldier came across four LTTE cadres and opened fire with his personal weapon, slightly wounding two of the cadres. The cadres returned fire in self defence as a result of which the Sri Lankan soldier lost his life,” said SLMM chief General Furuhovde.