The office of a Tamil newspaper was attacked and staff beaten by masked men in northern Sri Lanka.
The owner of the pro-opposition Uthayan paper said six masked men entered the building in Kilinochchi before dawn and attacked. He said that two members of staff were badly injured and property damaged, the BBC reports. It is the fourth time this year Tamil-language newspapers or their distributors have been attacked in Sri Lanka, which is one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists.
The owner of Uthayan, E Saravanapavan, said six staff members and a driver who had brought copies from the northern town of Jaffna for local distribution had been present at the time of the attack.
The office building and contents and the vehicle from Jaffna were damaged. Police took statements and fingerprints but there were no immediate reports of any arrests.
Saravanapavan is also a parliamentarian for the Tamil National Alliance opposition party.
