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| Sunday, 8 June 2003 |
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Media minister orders probe : Gang storms Lakmina office by S. Selvakumar An unidentified armed gang attacked the editorial office of the opposition weekly newspaper Lakmina in the early hours yesterday and all the newspapers that were ready for despatch on Sunday morning were burnt and destroyed. According to complaint to the Welikada police the gang armed with T-56 weapons and petrol bombs arrived in a vehicle without number plates. The six member gang had threatened the employees there, forced them to kneel down before throwing petrol bombs. A special police team under the direction of DIG Sirisena Herath has commenced investigations. Media and Mass Communication Minister Imtiaz Bakeer Markar has directed the police to conduct thorough investigations and apprehend the culprits. Meanwhile, Lakmina issuing a statement on the incident said that six persons armed with two T-56 weapons and with a pistol forcibly entered the premises of the Lakmina editorial at Bodhiraja Mawatha in Rajagiriya. The gang then ordered all employees to kneel down in a corner of a room. There were five employees at the time of the incident and while one of the gang members held a T-56 weapon at them inside the room, another stood guard outside. Within seconds a huge explosion followed by flames enveloped the room where the newspapers were bundled and ready for despatch. As a result of the fire the attackers and the employees rushed out of the place. Later the attackers threatened the employees and drove back in a white car that did not have number plates. Meanwhile, political circles speculated that this could be a confrontation between two rival factions that are known to be involved in the Opposition media campaign. |
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