A tipper truck loaded with sand was shot at in the Puliyampokkanai, Nagendrapuram area in the Dharmapuram Police Division in Kilinochchi yesterday (21), The Dharmapuram Police said.

Troops of the Security Forces Headquarters (SFHQ) in Kilinochchi have set up a roadblock in the Nagendrapuram area following information regarding illegal sand mining and smuggling.

At that moment, a tipper truck loaded with illegal sand was approaching and soldiers tried to stop it, but the soldiers were in danger when the sand smugglers tried to flee and the soldiers fired at the tipper and the wheels in self-defence.

Two suspects in the tipper truck were apprehended by the Army when they jumped off the road and hit a nearby tree.

The suspects are residents of the Nagendrapuram area and have been handed over to the Dharmapuram Police for further investigations.

The suspects will be produced before the Kilinochchi Magistrate’s Court today (22), Dharmapuram Police said.