COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, May 3 (UPI) -- Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has condemned an attack on a Tamil daily newspaper and vowed to bring the culprits to justice.
Tuesday night five armed men entered the office of the Uthayan newspaper and opened fire, killing the marketing manager and a delivery boy, the Colombo Page Online reported.
The president called the newspaper's owner, condemning the "barbaric act" and offering his support to restart the newspaper, which is located in the Tamil Tiger-controlled northern Jaffna peninsula.
Media Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa accused the Tamil Tiger rebels of carrying out the attack, saying the Tigers are trying to tarnish Sri Lanka's image. The attack was carried out when the nation's media unions were celebrating World Press Freedom Day in Colombo.
The president has appointed a committee and asked for an impartial investigation into the assault.
