By Phuah Ken Lin

GEORGE TOWN: Two brothers were brutally slashed and beaten up by three masked men in a horrifying attack in which one man lost his right hand.

The other victim had three of his fingers chopped off.

S. Nathan, 29, and S. Sures, 27, were attacked by the parang-wielding assailants next to a rest and recreation area, near the Kamunting toll plaza at 5.15am on June 11.

The brothers, who are van drivers from Bagan Serai, were taking a nap inside their vans after dropping off estate workers at the Gedung oil palm estate when they were attacked.

Relating their terrifying ordeal, Nathan said four men in a Proton Waja had driven up to their vans before three of them started attacking Sures, who was about to ease himself by the roadside.

"I immediately rushed to help my brother.

"I asked them why they were attacking us but they just continued slashing at us without uttering a word."

Nathan's right hand was severed when he tried to block a parang aimed at his brother.

The fingers on his left hand were almost severed.

Sures, meanwhile, suffered multiple slash wounds and had two fingers on his right hand and one on his left severed. He was also hit on the head with a stick by one of the assailants.

Sures, who was in tears yesterday, said he begged for mercy repeatedly, but the assailants ignored his pleas.

"I owe my life to my brother as he put out his hand to block the parang that was aimed at my head. As a result, he lost his hand."

Sures said after the attackers left, an estate worker who was with them called for an ambulance.

The brothers were later rushed to the Taiping Hospital before Nathan was referred to the Selayang Hospital.

Sures was transferred to the Penang Hospital due to the seriousness of his injuries.

However, he is now in a private hospital here to undergo surgery on his right ankle.

The brothers, who said that they did not have any enemies, lodged a report at the Taiping police station.

Meanwhile, their father V. Sellappan, 57, said the family was worried over Sures' mounting medical bills.

He said the family had raised some money but needed more as the bill was estimated to be about RM100,000.

"They are my only two sons and my world has crumbled following the attack," said Sellappan.--NST