Incident Summary:
01/16/2007: Two unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle shot and killed 6 civilians, including one woman, and injuring another woman, around 8:00pm while they were gathered around their adjoining homes in Kurumankadu, Vavuniya, Sri Lanka. According to police, the gunmen were looking for a person named Suresh. When one of the youith inquired as to why, he was shot by a gunman. Four other youths trying to flee using a three-wheeler were also gunned down, and then the vehicle was set ablaze by the perpetrators. The woman who was killed was the mother of one of the youths. Police were unsure as to whether this was a family dispute, or if the gunmen were members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The motive is unconfirmed.
Overview
GTD ID:
200701160006
When:
2007-01-16
Country:
Sri Lanka
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Northern
City:
Vavuniya
Location Details:
Adjoining private residences in Kurumankadu, Vavuniya, near the Kurumankadu rail track
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Type of Attack () |
Facility/Infrastructure Attack |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property |
Name of Entity |
Sri Lankan civilians |
Specific Description |
Anthonipillai Ponmani and other civilians |
Nationality of Target |
Sri Lanka |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Unknown |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Firearms |
Unknown Gun Type |
Incendiary |
Arson/Fire |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
No |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
Yes |
Alternate Designation () |
Other Crime Type |
Additional Information |
Five youths were drinking liquor at their adjoining homes when the gunmen rode up on their motorcycle. They asked for someone named Suresh, and when one of the youth's asked why, they shot him. Two of the youths ran towards a three-wheeler parked nearby in an attempt to escape and were fatally shot, as were two more youths who tried the same thing. The mother of one of the youth's was also shot and killed as she begged the gunmen to save her son. The six victims who died were: Anthonipillai Ponmani (56), A. Yoganathan (28), A. Anton Subaseelan (26), P. Ramesh (30), Y.R. Rajadurai (44), and P. Chandrasekaran (25). The one surviving female victim was Jasmin Kumaran (25). Three of the victims were family. Police were investigating the incident, and noted the motive was unknown as it was unclear if this was a family dispute or an act committed by the LTTE. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
2 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
6 Fatalities / 1 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
6 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
1 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Rafik Jalaldeen, "Six killed in Vavuniya," The Daily News Online, January 18, 2007. |
"6 civilians shot dead in Sri Lanka's north," Xinhua News Agency, January 17, 2007. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties