Ruhunu University authorities yesterday called in the police after clashes between two groups of undergraduates left 17 wounded, three of seriously. Police arrested 18 involved in the clashes during which a blast took place near the mathematics building.

Police said 17 undergraduates had been hospitalized. Of them, three had been admitted to the Emergency Care Unit but none were in a critical condition, acting director of the hospital Dr. V. R. Gunasekara told The Island.

Science Faculty students, attached to the National University Solidarity Students Foundation (NUSSF), had clashed with the pro–JVP Inter University Students Federation (IUSF). University authorities said they had been armed with stones, clubs, bicycle chains and bottles filled with sand. There had been a blast on the campus premises but it was not confirmed yet whether it was a fire cracker or a petrol bomb. Police rushed about 100 personnel to break up the fight. Authorities said that the campus wouldn’t be closed.

Convener of the Pro–JVP IUSF, Udul Premaratne alleged the Vice Chancellor of the University had led the students of the Science Faculty. He said that if the authorities taken prompt action against the Science Faculty students for repeatedly attacking them, yesterday’s incident wouldn’t have taken place.

Premaratne said they were being targeted as they recently exposed corruption within the administration.

Media spokesman of the NUSSF Enok Mahesh de Silva, while denying Premaratne’s allegations, said the JVPers went on the rampage and during the clashes triggered a bomb explosion on the campus.