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Army withdraws from Vadamaradchi
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Army withdrew from several areas in Vadamaradchi east around 10.30 a.m. this morning according to latest reports from Jaffna. SLA troops which advanced towards Naagarkovil are still in the area said sources.
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UNP ends Parliament boycott
UNP sources said today that they will start going back to the Sri Lankan Parliament from April 7. The UNP reviewed its position on the boycott of the Parliament today.
300 Tamils rounded up in Dehiwela
Sri Lankan army and Police launched a joint operation in the early hours of the morning today in Dehiwela, a large suburb of Colombo, to screen Tamils living in the area.
Jaffna ambush kills two
Two SLA soldiers were killed in an ambush by the Liberation Tigers tonight around 8 p.m. in Waligamam east in Jaffna. The army had gone to the area upon receipt of information that the Liberation Tigers were present there.
Heavy fighting in Vadamaradchy East - paper
The Sri Lankan security forces headquarters in Palaly in Jaffna said that the SL troops are on a limited operation in Vadamaradchi east from Sunday.
Heavy fighting in Jaffna
[TamilNet, Monday, 30 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Heavy fighting is reported between the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers in Vadamaradchi east in the Jaffna peninsula from this morning, said sources in Jaffna. Fighting erupted when the SLA tried to advance in to this region on the south eastern coast of the Jaffna peninsula.
Meeting with LTTE blocked
The Sri Lankan army refused permisson to the delegation of local government politicians from the Matara district who were scheduled to meet the Liberation Tigers today.
SLA advance in Vadamaradchi
SLA sources in Jaffna said that fierce fighting between the Liberation Tigers and government troops is still on in the Vadamaradchi east area. The army had moved into the 18 kilometer long coast and its hinterland from three fronts this morning around 11.30 a.m., following a set back earlier in the morning.
Delegation to meet LTTE
[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A delegation of UNP and PA chairmen and members of local government bodies in the Matara district was brought to Batticaloa today by the National Peace Council, a Colombo based conflict resolution non governmental organisation (NGO), for a discussion with the Liberation Tigers.
Jaffna posters decry creeping social evils
Some posters up came in the Jaffna new market area warning against prostitution, illicit liquor (Kasippu) and black marketeering. The posters were only signed as 'People of Jaffna'.
Neervely SLA post attacked
The Liberation Tigers attacked a SLA sentry in Neervely in Jaffna this afternoon around 1 a.m. wounding one soldier. The soldier was rushed in an ambulance to the Palaly military hospital.
Police post attacked
The Liberation Tigers attacked a police post last night around 11.30 p.m in Kudapokunai in Welikanda, northwest of Batticaloa on the Polannaruwa Batticaloa district border. One policeman was killed in the attack, accoring to initial reports.
Two women arrested
Two women were taken into custody by the SLA on Friday at Purapporukki junction where the road to Udupiddy branches off from the Jaffna-Pt. Pedro road. The women were arrested following the discovery of a claymore mine which had been set in front of the house where the women were staying.
Jaffna stripped of its largest industrial venture
[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The board of directors of the Lanka Cement Company - the semi government firm which owns the Kankesanthurai (KKS) cement factory- has decided to close up this large facility in the peninsula said company sources in Colombo.
Girl student stripped naked and whipped by SLA
A GCE (O.L) student of Vincent girls's High School in Batticaloa was stripped naked and whipped by the SLA on March 17 claimed her parents this week. The girl,17, who did not want to be identified, lives in the village of Palugamam with her parents.
SLMC leader condemns attack on muslims
"You should turn your guns on the chauvinism against which you took up arms and not on your brother minority" said Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader and Sri Lanka's Minister of Ports, M.H.M Ashraff, as he lashed out at the Liberation Tigers today at the opening ceremony of the Hatton National Bank branch office in Kalmunai, the booming Muslim town on the eastern coast of the Ampara district.
New SLA strategy to capture Mankulam?
The Eelanaatham, the only daily published in the Vanni region controlled by the Liberation Tigers, said today that the Sri Lankan troops of Operation Jayasikurui are now attacking in small groups to capture Mankulam.
Protest over transit delays
[TamilNet, Friday, 27 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A group of civilians staged a protest fast in front of the Vavuniya Kachcheri this morning from 8 a.m. demanding that the authorities should take steps to immediately send them back to Jaffna.
6 Tigers killed - STF
The Special Task Force (STF) of the Sri Lankan Police in Ampara claimed today that its commandos had killed six Liberation Tigers in an ambush in the early hours of the morning today around 3 a.m.
Cuts in Chloroquine supply fuel Malaria epidemic
Every day, at least five thousand civilians in the Vanni seek treatment for Malaria say medical sources in the north.
Details emerge of SLAF bombing
Further details emerged from the Vanni today about the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) bombing of Vattakkachchi and Kandawalai, villages east of Paranthan in Kilinochchi. Eight civilians were killed and many were wounded when SLAF Kfir jets bombed Vattakkachchi and Periyakulam yesterday.
Air strike wounds 2 civilians
Kfir jets of the SLAF struck again today in the Vanni, wounding two civilians. The jets hit the village of Naayaaru in the Manalaaru area this morning around 7.30 a.m.
18 Tigers killed near Mankulam - MoD
Contrary to earlier reports, the object found on the bus from Chavakachari to Varani this morning was not a bomb. SLA sources in Thenmaratchi confirmed that the object was the mini-parachute of a flare which had been fired by the SLA.
Arduous journey for Vadamaradchi travelers
More than 150 civilians from Vadamaradchi east were detained from 10 a.m. in the morning yesterday at the Vallipuram check point by the Sri Lankan army. The civilians were permitted to leave last night around 9 p.m.
SLAF jets kill 8 civilians
[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Eight civilians, including a school girl, were killed and many were wounded when Sri Lankan Air Force Kfir jets bombed Vattakkachchi and Periyakulam east of Paranthan, this morning around 8.30 a.m, said latest reports from the Vanni. A fifty year old woman identified as Sellammah was blown to smithereens as a 250 Kilogram high explosive bomb exploded on her house, said local residents. Residents said that only a few pieces of the saree she was wearing were found on a nearby tree.
Parliamentarians to visit Norway
A team of 15 Sri Lankan parliamentarians representing all the political parties in the Parliament will visit Norway from March 29 to April 6 to study the fisheries industry in that country and examine constitutional affairs said government sources today.
Army pulls back half kilometer
Reports from the forward areas of Operation Jayasikurui in the Vanni said that the Sri Lankan army had withdrawn half a kilometer from one of its positions near Mankulam.
Hindu Congress meet Indian official
A three member delegation of the All Ceylon Hindu Congress met the Indian High Commissioner for Sri Lanka Shiv Shankar Menon this afternoon to draw the Indian government's attention to the indiscriminate arrests of Tamils , including Hindu priests in Colombo and in the north-east.
2 missing after navy attack
Two fishermen went missing in the sea after an attack by the Sri Lankan Navy on a group of fishermen in the seas off the Mullaithivu coast in the early hours of the morning today. Most fishermen had sped back to the shore as the Navy had opened fire.
60 year old woman on terrorism charge
A sixty year old woman, Chellaiah Thavamani of Navatkuly in Jaffna, who was allowed to go on bail by the Mallakam court, was promptly arrested again by the Sri Lankan Police on the grounds that the court had no authority to handle the old woman's case because she had been arrested and held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and Emergency Regulations.
Civilians warned not to return
The Sri Lankan army's 22 Brigade commander who is also the Co-ordinating Officer for the Trincomalee district said that anyone attempting to cross the Uppaaru lagoon will be shot at sight. He was responding to a query by TULF MP for Trincomalee Mr. R. Sampanthan about the forcible evacuation of Tamil and Muslim civilians from Uppaaru and other villages in Muthur at the District Co-ordinating Committee meeting held at the Trincomalee Kachcheri this week.
Postal workers protest resumes
Sri Lankan postal workers began their protest campaign again today following the failure of their negotiations with the government. The Union of Postal and Telecommunications Organisations announced it will go ahead with the 'work slow' protest until its demands are met by the government.
70's budget for 90's detainees
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Tamil people from the Vanni who land at Kurunagar in Jaffna town and areheld at the SLA's CeyNor camp are being forced to live on inadequaterations handed out to them by Department of Social Services, due to anarchaic Sri Lankan Government regulation which states that a refugee hasto subsist on 25 rupees per day, a senior official of the Department ofSocial Services told the TamilNet correspondent today.
PLOTE offers to screen Tamils
The Deputy leader of the PLOTE, Manikkam Daasan said today in a statement that he had proposed to the government that it should permit his organisation to put into effect a system to ensure the safety of Tamils from the northern and eastern provinces of the island who have to come Colombo.
Auto-rickshaw drivers demonstrate
More than three hundred auto-rickshaw drivers demonstrated in front of the PLOTE office in Trincomalee town today demanding the immediate release of one of their colleagues who had been abducted by the organisation on March 21. The PLOTE had locked up its office as the drivers were demonstrating outside.
Disease worst problem in Vanni - Church
The Vicar General of the Jaffna Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church J. B. C Selvarajah, who visited a number of refugee camps in the northern parts of the Vanni, said that among the ravages faced by the Tamil refugees, disease and sickness were the worst.
Reports in Sinhala hamper Jaffna judiciary
The judges in the Jaffna courts are finding it difficult to carry out their duties as reports are being filed in the Sinhala language which they cannot comprehend, said M. Thirunaavukkarasu, the Mallakam judge, during a discussion yesterday with a delegation from the United States embassy in Colombo.
Tamil parties protest over arrests
The Tamil United Liberation Front and the All Ceylon Hindu Congress lodged vehement protests with the Sri Lankan government today over the arrest and detention of the Captain Gardens Hindu temple chief priest's daughter and her three children.
SLA spearheads Sinhala Colonisation
The Sri Lankan army is continuing to forcibly remove Tamil civilians from their villages in the Muthur area, south of Trincomalee despite protests by Tamil Parliamentarians, said ex-militant Tamil groups in the eastern port town today.
Disease adds to Jeyasikurui toll
Medical sources said today that more than fifteen Sri Lankan army soldiers deployed in Operation Jayasikurui in the Vanni are admitted to the Anuradhapura hospital every day afflicted mostly by Malaria and chicken pox.
Norway to return asylum seekers - official
A Norwegian government official, currently in Jaffna on a visit, told the Uthayan, the only daily published in the peninsula, that granting asylum to Sri Lankan Tamils has been stopped in Norway.
Detentions at Valaichenai sports meet
Several male spectators at the school sports meet of VivekananthaViththiyalayam at Kalmadu, near Valaichenai, 32 km north of Batticaloa, were detained by the Sri LankaArmy after a cordon andsearch operation at the school around 10.30 a.m. yesterday, said sourcesin Valaichenai.
Grenade injures TELO cadre
The Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation's (TELO) camp in Araipattai (Aaraiyampathy), 7 kilometers south of Batticaloa, was attacked this morning around 9.30 a.m. by two unidentified youths, suspected to be members of the Liberation Tigers.
4 Tigers killed
The Sri Lankan Army (SLA) conducted a cordon and search at Paashaiyoor near Jaffna town in the morning between 9.00 and 12.00 a.m. yesterday, allegedly to ascertain whether those residents who were neither employed or studying, had any connections with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said sources in Jaffna.
Two Tigers killed near Mankulam - Radio
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in it's night news broad cast today that two of their fighters, Vettri (Nathan Wimalarajan, Jaffna) and Suthanithan (Vetharalingam Nagenthran, Amparai) were killed in a confrontation with the Sri Lankan army near Mankulam yesterday.
Nurses threaten strike over demands
More than thousand three hundred nurses working in Sri Lankan government hospitals demonstrated at the Viharamahadevi Park (formerly Victoria Park) in Colombo today threatening to go on strike from the March 30 if their demands are not met by the government.
Hindu priest injured
Nandhakumar Shanmuhanaathan, 31, the assistant of the Hindu priest of the Neervely Kandasamy temple in Jaffna was seriously wounded when the SLA shot him while he was on his way to open the temple this morning around 5.30 a.m. Sources in Jaffna said that his condition is serious as bullets had ripped through his abdomen.
SLA-LTTE firefight in Pashaiyoor
A firefight between the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan army erupted near the Pashaiyoor jetty in Jaffna town in the early hours of the morning today around 1 a.m said sources in Jaffna.
Kalutara prisoners begin fast unto death
Five political prisoners in Sri Lanka's high security Kalutara jail, 43 kilometers south of Colombo, began a fast unto death today demanding that the government should begin legal proceedings against them or release them from the prolonged incarceration.
SLA comments on Jaffna rape
The Sri Lankan army in Jaffna formally responded to the rape of the deaf and dumb woman,S. Selvarani, 28, in Meesalai on March 16, in a press note put out by the Palaly Sri Lankan Security Forces head quarters yesterday.
2 EPDP cadres released
The Liberation Tigers released two members of the EPDP to the ICRC this morning at Mallavi in the Vanni around 10.30 a.m. They said the EPDP cadres were being released on humanitarian grounds.
UNDP operations hampered
The Humanitarian Assistance Advisor to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Jaffna told the local NGO consortium at a special meeting this week that the Sri Lankan army and the Sri Lankan government are against the UNDP working in the peninsula through local Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs).
US delegation visits Jaffna
A team of officials from the US embassy in Colombo will visit Jaffna today. The US team will stay in Jaffna until Wednesday March 25 said sources in Jaffna Kachcheri sources this morning.
Unexploded bombs cause panic
Eight 250 kilogram bombs dropped on the village of Vaakarai by the Sri Lankan Air Force Kfir jets on Thursday and Friday did not explode and are stuck in the ground, causing great panic among the people living in the area said sources in Valaichenai, twenty five miles to the south of Vaakarai.
1500 Tamils arrested in Colombo
More than 1500 Tamils were arrested in Colombo during a simultaneous cordon and search operation by the Sri Lankan army and Police which was launched last night.
LTTE refutes STF advance claim
Police sources in Amparai said today that the STF has established a camp in the kanjikudichcha Aaru area. They said a large number of STF commandos have been pulled out of some camps in the area for the purpose.
Six troopers killed in kodikamam
The Liberation Tigers announced in the Vanni yesterday that one of their commando units had attacked a mini SLA camp in Kattaiaaru near Kodikamam in Jaffna killing six troopers,including a female soldier, and capturing weapons yesterday around 2.30 p.m.
LTTE's proscription gazetted
The Sri Lankan government issued the gazette notification promulgating the proscription of the Liberation Tigers.
High incidence of Tuberculosis in Jaffna
Eleven patients died of tuberculosis (TB) of a total of 173 cases reported in the Jaffna Peninsula in 1997, said sources in Jaffna. There 125 patients receiving treatment at the TB clinic of the Jaffna hospital.
Informant takes revenge on his neighbours
Sinnathurai from Kiran, 28 km north of Batticaloa town, who became an informant of the Sri Lanka Army's (SLA) after a dispute with his neighbours is taking revenge on his antagonists by identifying them as supporters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said sources in Batticaloa.
Education system in disarray
Education in the island of Pungudutheevu, lying off the Jaffna peninsula, has sunk to abysmal levels today with only four out of the fifteen schools on the island functioning, said sources in Jaffna.
Jaffna water tanks remain empty
The German Technical Institute (GTZ) which provided large water tanks for the storage of water to be used by residents of Jaffna, has refused to bear the cost of transporting the water to these tanks, said sources in Jaffna.
SLA 'discovers' 3 dead bodies in Kodikamam
Three unidentified bodies with gun shot wounds, which included a woman's, were handed over by the police to the Jaffna Hospital yesterday said sources in Jaffna. The police, who said the bodies were discovered at Kodikamam, 22 km south of Jaffna town, received possession of the bodies from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).
Attempted suicides increase in Jaffna
The past few months has seen an alarming increase in the rate of attempted suicides in the Jaffna peninsula, said sources in Jaffna. In January this year there were 44 cases, in February 43 and till March 20, 38 attempts. However only about 1% of the attempts were successful said sources.
5 Tigers killed in sporadic clashes
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in its morning broadcast today that five Tigers were killed in different parts of the north east on Wednesday March, 18. The radio said that three Tigers were killed in a direct confrontation with the SLA troops in Karuppattamurippu on Wednesday.
LTTE shells injure 7 soldiers
Reports from the Vanni said that seven SLA soldiers were wounded when the Liberation Tigers shelled the positions of Operation Jayasikurui today.
US Antiterrorism Law challenged in courts
The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California yesterday charging that the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 is unconstitutional insofar as it criminalizes the provision of material support or resources to the lawful and non-violent activities of any foreign organization designated as "terrorist" by the Secretary of State.
Homeguards defy orders amid fear of LTTE attacks
175 homeguards and 7 reserve policemen were interdicted today by the Sri Lankan defence authorities when they refused to take up duties in Aranthalawa, on the boarder between Amparai and Batticaloa districts.
Suresh to be released on bail
Mr. Suresh Manikavasagam a Tamil activist who was facing deportation to Sri Lanka from Canada will be released from custody, according to an order enforced by Judge Teitelbaum on Thursday, said legal sources in Canada.
Old Kandy road to lead SLA to Kilinochi?
The Sri Lankan Army said today that it has advanced several kilometers north of its positions at Karuppattamurippu which is on the road running east from Mankulam junction to Mullaithivu through Ottisuddan.
Police claim surprise attack on LTTE camps
Police sources in Amparai said that the Special Task Force (STF) commandos had launched a surprise attack towards 2-4 base of the Liberation Tigers in the Kanjikudichcha Aaru jungles in the south-east of the Amparai district.
SLA raids PLOTE office
The Sri Lankan army surrounded the PLOTE office in Chavakachcheri in Jaffna this morning and arrested every one in the premises said sources this afternoon. The SLA has not officially said anything about this unprecedented move.
Capture of Mankulam proving elusive?
Sri Lankan army's media spokesman Brig. Sarath Munasinghe told journalists at yesterday's cabinet press briefing that it is not the army's objective to capture Mankulam but to draw out the Liberations Tigers from the jungles and destroy as many of them as possible.
Police torture suspected in detainee's death
A person who was arrested by the Sri Lankan Police yesterday in Batticaloa was found dead in his cell. Sources in the eastern town said there is reason to suspect Police torture was the reason for the death.
Torture victim admitted to Jaffna hospital
Sinnavan Mahendirajah, 36 was admitted to the Jaffna hospital today for internal damage caused by torture while he was in the custody of the Sri Lankan army Chankanai in Jaffna. He was arrested by the local army on March 3 and was released on March 12.
Postal strike delays deliveries
More than five hundred thousand foreign letters have accumulated in Colombo as result of a work to rule protest by Sri Lankan postal workers which began last Friday, March 13.
Ghost candidates submit resignations
Officials at the Elections Commissioner's office in Jaffna said that so far 28 persons elected in January to the 17 local government bodies in the peninsula have resigned from their posts.
Mankulam battle continues
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in its morning broadcast today that the Liberation Tigers had beaten back an offensive by the Sri Lankan army on Monday, March 16, to advance towards the general area of Moondumurippu.
Palmyrah palms become victims of EPDP
The EPDP is cutting down a large number of Palmyrah palms surrounding its camp in Madaththuveli in the island of Pungudutheevu off Jaffna complained residents today. More than five hundred full grown Palmyrah palms in the area have been cut down by the EPDP cadres for security reasons said a member of the Pungudutheevu Vigilance Committee.
Kfir bombs force thousands to flee
More than two thousand civilians fled the coastal village of Vaakarai, 85 km. north of Batticaloa, fearing a Sri Lankan army offensive after Israeli Kfir jets of the Sri Lankan Air Force bombed and strafed the area this morning. Four school children, two boys and two girls, were wounded in the bombing.
Parents of the Missing die of grief
The Missing Persons Guardian's Association of Jaffna (MPGA-J) states that the number of parents who die out of grief for their children who were arrested by the SLA and are still missing is on the increase in the Jaffna peninsula.
Heavy SLA shelling displaces civilians - Radio
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in its night broadcast today that the Sri Lankan Army heavily shelled Vannivilankulam and Kollavilankulam yesterday and Monday, leading to displacement of civilians in the area.
Krishanthi case accused escape police custody
Two Sri Lankan army soldiers, accused of raping, torturing and murdering Krishanthi Kumaraswamy, a 18 year old Jaffna school girl, along with her mother, brother and their neighbour, escaped from Police custody when they were brought to the Colombo high court today.
Coverup of rape underway?
Sources in Jaffna claimed today that moves are afoot in Sri Lankan military circles in the peninsula to play down or to subtly cover up the rape of the deaf and dumb girl in Meesalai west on March 16.
Jaffna Medical College vacancies yet unfilled
The Jaffna university authorities have advised the Sri Lankan University Grants Commission (UGC) that a one point reduction in the cut off marks for admission would help fill the vacancies which still exist in the Jaffna medical college, despite the decision to enroll 13 Sinhala students.
Research objectives of Buddhist monks questioned
Three Sinhala Buddhist monk-academics who wanted to begin archaeological excavations at Kandarodai in Jaffna, were given a short shrift by the staff of the University of Jaffna at a meeting on Thursday, said sources in Jaffna.
Army orders to close down dispensary
The Sri Lankan army ordered that the government medical dispensary at Amban in Vadamaradchi east should closed from 12 noon today. Residents said that this is the only medical facility available for thousands of civilians in this large southeastern coastal region of Jaffna. The army is not present in this region.
Batticaloa MPs decline dinner invitation
The three TULF MPs from the Batticaloa district, Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, P. Selvarajah and K. Thurairajasingham decided to keep away from a dinner for the government Parliamentary group hosted by Sri Lankan President this evening against the wishes of the party's secretary general Mr. R. Sampanthan.
Travel restrictions to be reviewed
The Sri Lankan minister of defence agreed to review the ban on the movement of vehicles out of the eastern province following a strong protest by Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala MPs and ministers from the east today.
Young woman raped in Jaffna
A deaf and dumb girl was gang raped by a group of SLA soldiers in Meesaalai west in Jaffna yesterday around 12 noon said Chavakachcheri hospital sources. She was admitted today to the hospital after she had attempted to immolate herself by pouring a barrel of kerosene on her body.
German Bank pledges reconstruction aid
The German Development Bank has pledged 165 million rupees (2.7 million US $) for the reconstruction of more than 81,000 houses in the Jaffna District and the Naavatkuli warehouses which have been destroyed by the war, said sources in Jaffna.
Caste clashes on the increase in Jaffna
Twenty persons who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Police on Thursday for their alleged involvement in a clash between two caste groups in the Vaddukkoddai area in Jaffna were produced before the Jaffna judge today.
LTTE mortars inflict heavy damage
More than hundred and nine SLA soldiers, including officers, have been wounded since the latest phase of Operation Jayasikurui began on Saturday March 14. In the three days of intense fighting more than 22 soldiers have been killed said SLA sources in Vavuniya today. Twenty eight soldiers were wounded last evening and 10 today.
Eastern province facing isolation
The Sri Lankan government has decided to stop the movement of vehicles out of the eastern province from March. 27. No vehicles from the Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara districts will be allowed to proceed beyond specified points on the access roads to the province which are currently in use from this date.
Constable caught molesting a pregnant woman
A Sri Lankan Police constable who attempted to rape a 3 month pregnant woman in Thinneveli in Jaffna last night around 8.30 p.m. was caught and severely assaulted by a group of local civilians.
SLA advance stalled - VoT
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in the morning broadcast today that the Liberation Tigers had successfully stalled a 3-pronged attack by the troops of Operation Jaya Sukurui to capture Mankulum yesterday.
55-Division GOC and his deputy injured
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 55-division, his deputy and a Principle Staff Officer (PSO) have been wounded in the ongoing offensive towards Mankulam in the Vanni.
Massive round up in Valaichenai
25 people were arrested when the SLA cordoned and searched 8 villages in Batticaloa district in the early hours of the morning today.
SLA officer killed and 41 injured - VoT
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in its night broadcast today that one Sri Lankan Army officer was killed and 41, including 2 officers, were wounded this morning in shelling by the Liberation Tigers on troops of Operation Jaya Sukurui, who are fighting to advance toward Mankulam.
Heavy fighting in Olumadu
11 SLA soldiers have been killed and another 5 reported missing since fresh fighting erupted as troops of Operation Jaya Sukurui attempted to advance in a 3-pronged offensive to capture the strategic Mankulam junction, said army sources in Vavuniya. More than 72 SLA soldiers, including 2 senior officers are injured in the latest fighting, they said.
Vehicle ban temporarily lifted
The Sri Lankan government agreed to temporarily lift the ban on vehicles leaving the Batticaloa and Ampara districts for two weeks last evening after widespread protest from Tamil and Muslim politicians in the east. The Secretary of the Ministry of Defence said yesterday the the ban would be imposed again at the end of two weeks.
Softdrinks for SLA eat 50% of ceremony funds
Jaffna Municipal council officials said that of the 30000 (483 US$) rupees which was spent on the swearing in ceremony of the Jaffna mayor Mrs. Sarojini Yogeswaran on March 12, 17000 (274 US$) had been spent on canned soft drinks.
Army mounts fresh offensive
The Sri Lankan army restarted Operation Jayasikurui towards Mankulam at the first light of dawn today said government military sources in Vavuniya. According to initial reports from the front, four soldiers were wounded in the P-1, P-2 categories by fire from the positions of the Liberation Tigers in an around Mankulam they said.
Joy ride at checkpoint damages lorry and its cargo
A lorry carrying 185 bags of rice went off the cause way across the lagoon at Periya Kallar south of Batticaloa yesterday when Policemen with little knowledge of driving who had taken it for a joy ride from the local checkpoint lost control of the vehicle. The lorry was completely damaged.
Revenge killing by STF?
A retired government official was shot dead last evening by Special Task Force (STF) commandos of the Sri Lankan Police, at Kaluwanchikudy, south of Batticaloa, for not responding promptly to an order by them to alight from his bicycle. Sources said that it was a revenge killing by the STF.
Corruption rampant at Sri Lanka Telecom (Jaffna)
The Sri Lankan army in Jaffna has begun an investigation into allegations of corruption and malpractice in the Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), the semi government concern which was formerly the telecommunications department.
Candy floss vendor beaten
A young candy floss vendor was hospitalised after being severely beaten at Sirupiddy SLA checkpoint in Atchuvely, 12 km north of Jaffna town around 4:30 p.m. yesterday by soldiers, who suspected that one of them had been poisoned by the sweet, said sources in Jaffna.
SLA advance in Jaffna repulsed - Radio
The Voice of Tigers said in its night news broadcast today that the Liberation Tigers had counter attacked and stalled an attempt by the Sri Lankan army to move into the Kudaththanai and Amban areas in Vadamaradchi east in Jaffna yesterday.
Mohan group members misbehave
Members of the Mohan Group of the Peoples' Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), which now operates as a para-military organisation of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Batticaloa, have been indulging in drunkenness and misbehaviour at night in the suburbs of Batticaloa for the past two weeks, said sources in Batticaloa.
4 SLA soldiers killed in Jaffna
Four Sri Lankan Army soldiers were killed and four wounded in a claymore mine attack by the Liberation Tigers on an SLA patrol on the Jaffna-Pt. Pedro road, around 6.30 p.m. today, said army sources in Jaffna.
Complaints fall on deaf ears
Murugupillai Sreetharan (22), father of three children was beaten up by unidentified armed men when he alighted from a bus at Naaranthanai in Kayts, an island off the Jaffna Peninsula at 11:00 a.m. today, said sources in Kayts.
Transport restrictions hit Batticaloa
A shortage of necessary consumer items - especially petrol and cooking gas - has affected the Batticaloa consumers following the ban imposed on Wednesday by the Sri Lankan Government on the movement of all vehicles from Batticaloa to other parts of the island, said sources in Batticaloa.
Passengers turned back at Manammpiddi
Passengers in buses, lorries and private vehicles who travelled up to Manammpiddi, on the Batticaloa-Polonnaruwa border, in the hope that the negotiations that Ports Minister M.H.M. Ashraff had with Sri Lanka Government authorities would have led to the lifting of the travel restriction in and out of the Batticaloa District, were turned back by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) at the border and ordered to return to Batticaloa today.
Protests against vehicle ban
A meeting of the Batticaloa Traders' Association at Lake View Inn in Batticaloa town, drafted a memorandum to be sent to the Government Agent Batticaloa, and the Batticaloa District Civil Co-ordinating Officer of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), protesting against the regulations stopping vehicular traffic from Batticaloa to other parts of the Island at Mannampiddi on the Batticaloa - Polonnaruwa District border, said sources in Batticaloa.
Batticaloa vehicles barred
Under the new regulation introduced yesterday, no vehicles from Batticaloa will be allowed beyond two boarder points to Colombo. According to the new travel regulation, which came into effect, at 12.00 noon yesterday, all the vehicles from Batticaloa would be stopped at Manampittiya on the Batticaloa-Polannaruwa border and people and goods will be transferred to vehicles brought from Colombo at this point.
4 SLA soldiers killed - Radio
The Voice of Tigers said in its night news broadcast that the Liberation Tigers attacked a group of Sri Lankan Army traveling in a tractor today east of Mankulam killing four soldiers and wounding two.
EPDP ignores its own pledge
The EPDP in a statement released yesterday said that its members, elected to office at the local government polls held in the Jaffna Peninsula in January, would not take oaths unless an allocation of three million rupees was made for each local bodies to function.
Batticaloa Traders stop bringing goods from Colombo
The Batticaloa Traders' Association said this afternoon that all businessmen in Batticaloa will stop bringing goods from Colombo to Batticaloa for a week. The Association also said that traders will stop sending vehicles to Mannampiddi, near the Polannaruwa district border, from tomorrow for a week in protest against the new security regulation by the Sri Lankan government.
Two SLA officers killed
Two SLA officers were killed and twelve soldiers were wounded when the tractor they were traveling in at Ottarayankulam, south west of Mankulam was hit by mortar shells fired by the Liberation Tigers yesterday.
SLA patrol attacked in Vantharumoolai
3 Sri Lankan soldiers were wounded when the Liberation Tigers who came in a camouflaged tractor attacked a SLA patrol at Vantharumoolai this afternoon, around 3.30 p.m. The tractor had come in the direction of Kaluvankerni, a coastal village where the Sri Lankan Army is not present.
Child killed in SLA's retaliatory fire
A six year old child was killed and a man was wounded at Kiran, 20 km north of Batticaloa around 10.00 a.m. yesterday, when the Sri Lankan Army (SLA), opened up mortar and small arms fire from Paalathadi camp near the Valaichenai lagoon in retaliation to shelling by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said sources in Valaichenai.
Corrupt practices of Sudu Nelum denied
The Peoples' Alliance (PA), which opened a branch office for the first time in the Jaffna Peninsula today, denied responsibility for the corrupt practices of the Sudu Nelum Movement during the run up to the local government elections held in the Jaffna Peninsula in January this year, said sources in Jaffna.
Civilians assaulted after grenade explosion
Civilians were severely assaulted at Kurunagar jetty in the Jaffna town this morning around 10.30 a.m., after a grenade went off nearby. Many fishermen at the jetty were assaulted by the Sri Lankan Army in the area. People who were passing by were also severely beaten up by SLA soldiers, said sources in Jaffna town. No one was injured in the explosion.
Bodies washed ashore
The bodies of two civilians killed in the clash between the Sri Lanka Navy and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at Pulmoddai on March 8 were found washed ashore at Katkovalam near Pt. Pedro and Nagarkovil, yesterday, said sources in Jaffna.
TELO member remembered
The 12th death anniversary of Daas, a senior member of Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) was held at Nelliyadi Mahaviththyalayam in Vadamaradchi, in the Jaffna peninsula this afternoon.
Sea tigers sink SLN boat
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a communiqué released this morning that a Naval craft was sunk near the Trincomalee harbour by a suicide Black Sea Tiger boat around 1 a.m. in the early hours of the morning today contrary to initial reports about the attack.
Two Sea Tigers killed - Radio
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in its night broadcast today that Sea Tigers attacked a group of Dvora Fast attack crafts (FACs) of the Sri Lankan Navy in the sea off Pulmodai, from 11 p.m. last night to 4 a.m. this morning.
SLA shelling injures Kurunagar civilians
Three civilians were wounded in Eechchamoddai, a Jaffna suburb near the coast, last night around 10.45 p.m. when the SLA shelled Kurunagar.
Security threat grounds passenger ship
The Lanka Muditha , a passenger ship hired by Sri Lanka's Commissioner of Essential Services, was unable to sail on its maiden voyage transporting refugees from Trincomalee to Jaffna's Kankesanthurai (KKS) port today, due to security reasons said Jaffna Kachcheri sources today.
4 Tiger boats sunk - SLN
Sri Lankan Navy sources in Trincomalee said today that SLN gunboats had engaged Sea Tiger craft off the Kokkilai coast south of Mullaithivu from 12.30 midnight to 5 a.m. this morning.
SLN gunboat severs fisherman's arm
The right arm of a young Pt. Pedro fisherman was cut off by the propeller of an SLN gunboat which rammed the raft in which he was fishing with two of his colleagues this morning around 5 a.m. The fisherman, Thiaguppillai Thomas Jayasoori, 25, of Katkovalam in Pt.Pedro is the father of two children.
Sri Lankan intelligence officer commits suicide
A young officer attached to the Batticaloa unit of the Sri Lankan National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) committed suicide this morning around 7.15 a.m. frustrated allegedly over the denial of a transfer. The young NIB officer was identified as Undugoda, 24.
SLA shells village west of Mankulam
455 families fled from the village of Vannivilankulam, as the Sri Lankan Army launched a heavy long range artillery and mortar bombardment of the area.
Court fines illegal abortion
Pt. Pedro Magistrate T. Vignarajah, today warned Vallipuram Chinnammah and fined her 500 rupees (approximately 8 US $), for performing an illegal abortion on a young woman from the Pt. Pedro area, said legal sources in Jaffna.
UNP briefs diplomats on PA violence
A delegation of United National Party (UNP), the main opposition party, met western diplomats in Colombo today to brief them about the political violence unleashed on them by the PA government in recent times.
Police camp attacked - VoT
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in its night's broadcast yesterday that in the early hours of yesterday morning, around 2.10 a.m., the Liberation Tigers overran and brought under their full control the Pachchnoor police camp, in an attack which lasted only 10 minutes.
Uthayan editorial raises language issue
Uthayan, the only Tamil daily published in Jaffna now wrote a very strong editorial today, strongly criticising the failure of the Sri Lankan Police in Jaffna to take complaints in Tamil.
SLA-LTTE fire-fights in the North
A press release issued by the Sri Lankan Security forces' Head Quarters in Palaly, Jaffna, said that there was a confrontation between a SLA patrol and a small group of the Liberation Tigers in Vaddukkodai area, Saturday night at 7.25 p.m.
Bomb explodes near Eravur Police station
A bomb exploded near the Eravur Sri Lankan Police station this afternoon around 4 p.m. (10.00 GMT) killing one Policeman and wounding ten according to initial reports from this Muslim dominated town 14 kilometers.
Eravur explosion kills six
The powerful bomb which went off in the heart of Eravur town this afternoon around 4 p.m. (10.00 GMT) was packed in a tractor and was timed to hit a large Sri Lankan Army convoy which was passing by. The army convoy missed the blast as another tractor laden with bags of rice which was giving way to the SLA convoy took the full impact of the explosion.
Three policemen killed
The Liberation Tigers attacked the Sri Lankan Police post in Pachchnoor, south of Muthur in the Trincomalee district in the early hours of the morning today killing three Policemen and wounding four said Police sources in the eastern port town.
EPRLF pursues compensation cases
The Eelam Peoples' Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) has requested Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the Governor of the North-East Province Council (NEPC) Mr. Gamini Fonseka, to intervene in the Palaly SLAF base expansion project in Waligamam to compensate residents of the area who lost their properties due to their lands being taken over for the project, said sources in Jaffna.
International Women's Day observed in Vanni - radio
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in its nights broadcast today that the Women's wing of the Liberation Tigers observed the International Women's Day today in all the administrative divisions in Vanni.
CWC convention cancelled following court order
The national convention of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) which was scheduled to be held today in Colombo was cancelled yesterday following a court order obtained by Mr. M. S. Sellasamy, formerly general secretary of the party.
Gun boats attack Mullaithivu coast
Gun boats of the SLN launched a heavy bombardment of the seas off the coast of Mullaithivu since Friday night. Sources from the area said that the first round of attacks had begun Friday night and had continued till 3 a.m. yesterday. Another round of heavy bombardment had begun again from 7 a.m. in the morning yesterday and had lasted until 9.30 a.m.
CWC holds 'party meeting' in Colombo
The leader of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), Mr. Soumyamoorthy Thondaman, speaking today at a party meeting in Colombo said that evil forces are exploding bombs to divide the political unity of the hill country workers. About 5000 people participated in the today's meeting held at the Sugathathasa indoor stadium.
9 Naval personnel killed in Vanni - VoT
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in their night broadcast yesterday that nine Sri Lankan Navy personnel travelling in a tractor were killed in their claymore mine attack between Nayinamadu and Mathiyamadu.
Firing near Eravur Police sentry
The Lankadeepa, the largest selling Sinhala daily in Sri Lanka, carried a lead story today which claimed that the Liberation Tigers had attacked the Eravur Police station yesterday in a bid to rescue the two persons arrested and held there in connection with the bomb blast in near downtown Colombo on Thursday, March 5.
Militiaman shoots relatives
Singarajah Kannan, a cadre of the Razik Group, which is an offshoot of the Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) now operating as a para-military group with the Sri Lankan Army (SLA), shot dead two members of his wife's family and wounded his wife and brother-in-law, at Thalavaai near Eravur, 14 km. north of Batticaloa town early this morning around 2.30 a.m.
Reward for policeman
The Sri Lankan Sub-Inspector of Police who chased the bus carrying the bomb yesterday was awarded five hundred thousand rupees (USD 8000) in cash by the Sri Lankan government and was promoted to the rank of Inspector with immediate effect.
EPDP cadre sought on molestation charge
The Jaffna Magistrate M Thirunavukarasu, issued the second warrant on Tuesday for the arrest of Thiagarajah Srikanthan, a member of the Eelam Peoples' Democratic Party (EPDP), on the charge of molesting a young woman S. Pushpalatha (21).
Three Tigers killed
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in its night broadcast today that the Liberation Tigers attacked a group of SLA soldiers traveling in a tractor between Nayinamadu and Mathiyamadu, about seven kilometers northeast of the Puliyankulam junction this morning around 10.45 a.m.
Prize winner must wait
Navaratnam Dharshini, an Year 10 student from the Jaffna Hindu College Kopay, who secured the first prize in an essay competition to mark International Women's Day organised by the Sri Lankan Government's Ministry of Womens' Affairs, and who has to be present in Colombo for the awards ceremony on March 8, is being denied air passage to Colombo due to bureaucratic lethargy, said Jaffna sources.
Arrests in Batticaloa over Colombo blast
The Sri Lankan Police took into custody nine persons from Batticaloa this morning in connection with the bomb blast near downtown Colombo yesterday.
Police officer's rifle snatched
Suspected members of the Liberation Tigers grabbed an assault rifle from a Sri Lankan Police officer and made good their escape in the heart of Mannar town- a high security zone- this morning. The incident took place near the Mannar stadium.
Colombo blast: details emerge
The clock on the tower at Maradana railway station is still. Its face shattered. The station stands at Maradana junction, the nerve centre of Colombo, which became a scene of carnage when a bomb carried in a private bus exploded under the overhead bridge. The kiosks on pavements had been closed, but there is evidence of wreckage within.
President calls emergency meeting
The Sri Lankan President convened an emergency meeting of the Security Council with the service commanders, intelligence chiefs and the deputy minister of defence to review the security situation in Colombo in the aftermath of the Maradana bomb.
Powerful bomb explosion in Colombo
A very powerful bomb went off near downtown Colombo this noon around 12.40 p.m. (6.40 GMT) killing more than thirty people and wounding more than 220 in the busy junction of Maradana.
Mannar fishermen face more problems
Traders in Mannar who send fish by lorry to the Colombo markets complain that they lose a lot of money in Madawachchi as some thugs in this Sinhala town are in the habit of taking away boxes of fish.
Tigers release EPDP cadres
The Liberation Tigers released three members of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) who had been in their custody this morning around 9 a.m. in the Vanni. The EPDP cadres had been released on humanitarian grounds on orders from the LTTE leader Veluppillai Prabhahran.
SLA tank destroyed - Radio
The Voice of Tigers said in their night broadcast that a main battle tank of the SLA was completely destroyed yesterday in the Olumadu area, east of Mankulam, when it was hit mortar fire from the positions of the Liberation Tigers.
Urgent pleas over Tellippalai hospital
The North Waligamam Rehabilitation Society, an NGO, has requested the Ministry of Health to provide urgently needed facilities to the Tellippalai Government Hospital, which was recently re-established at Tellippalai, said sources in Jaffna.
Jaffna Commissioner seeks German funding
Jaffna Municipal Commissioner V. P. Balasingham, requested financial assistance from a visiting German delegation for undertaking research on ground water pollution in the Jaffna town area, said sources in Jaffna. The situation is such that well water in the area might soon be polluted, he said.
Land mine defused by SLA
A road clearing patrol of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) defused a land mine today at Korakallimadu, 6 km south of Valaichenai on the Batticaloa - Valaichenai road, said army sources in the east. It is believed that the land mine was placed in readiness for a large SLA convoy carrying troops from Batticaloa to Polonnaruwa.
Cash-strapped TELO seen 'down-sizing'
Jeyakumar Kaantharooban, a cadre of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) from Batticaloa, who surrendered to the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), was remanded till March 18 by the Jaffna District Judge S. A. E Ekanathan today, said sources in Jaffna.
Senior SLA officer wounded
Col. Jagath Jayasuriya, one of the most experienced commanding officers of the SLA's fighting brigades currently involved in Operation Jayasikurui, the ten month long offensive to wrest control of the A9 highway to the Jaffna peninsula, was critically injured in a land mine blast in the general area of Olumadu this afternoon, said army sources in Vavuniya.
Leprosy cases seen in Jaffna again
Leprosy, almost non-existent in the Thenmaradchi region in Jaffna recently, is emerging again in that area, said sources in Jaffna. A case detected at Meesalai in Chavakachcheri in the Thenmaradchi region, is causing concern in Jaffna medical circles as even the handful of reported cases in the peninsula have come from Tholpuram, Chulipuram and Velanai.
Kfir jet bombed Church - Radio
The Satha Sagaya Maatha Church at Murasumoddai, 5 km west of Paranthan on the Paranthan - Mullaitivu road, was badly damaged when Sri Lanka Air Force Kfir jets bombed it yesterday January 3, said Voice of Tigers (VoT) this morning.
Stadium opening hangover
After the ball is over and the guests are gone.... come the problems, one by one. This is the sobering experience of Jaffna Municipal Commissioner V. P Balasingham, who has been asked to settle bills for which no receipts seem forthcoming!
Church intervenes over student malnutrition
The Human Development Centre (HUDC), the relief and rehabilitation arm of the Catholic Church in Jaffna, is providing nutritious vegetable soup to students in all schools in the Wanni, said sources in Vavuniya.
Road accident case dismissed
District Judge Jaffna S A E Ekanathan, dismissed today, the case against a soldier of Sri Lanka Army (SLA), who killed the school girl Anandi Gananandan on September 7, 1996, when she was riding a bicycle by running her over with a Buffel armoured personnel carrier, which is a four wheeled infantry vehicle, said sources in Jaffna.
1 killed, three hurt in Chenkalady
A cadre from the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) was killed and two members of the Peoples' Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) and a civilian were wounded in an exchange of fire with the Liberation Tigers at Chenkalady, 16 km north of Batticaloa, around 11 a.m. today, said sources in Valaichenai.
Shortage of anti-tetanus vaccine in Jaffna
Supplies of anti-tetanus vaccine for the first quarter of 1998 are yet to be received by Department of Health in the Jaffna District, said sources in Jaffna. The vaccine was not in the stock of medicines shipped for this period via an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) vessel.
LTTE fighter killed in Moondumurippu
The Voice of Tigers said in its night broadcast today that the SLA and the army clashed in Moondumurippu last evening, in which a Tiger called Kodai Arasan (Selvarasa Sivarasa of Nedunkerni in Mullaithivu) was killed.
Mannar ferry service in limbo
The District Secretariat of Mannar, has requested the Commissioner General of Essential Services (CGES) permission to run a ferry service between Mannar and Kurikattuvan in the Jaffna Peninsula, for transporting over 7000 persons, now stuck in the Mannar island as refugees, back to their homes, said sources in Mannar.
UNP to boycott parliament
United National Party (UNP) Members of Parliament picketed outside the Sri Lankan Parliament shouting slogans against the PA regime this morning, and once sittings began informed the Speaker that they would be boycotting Parliament for one month in protest of the violence unleashed on them in Eppawela and other parts of Sri Lanka's North Central Province (NCP).
State Department declines LTTE request
In responding to the Liberation Tiger's procedural motion, filed on the 10th February 1998 in the D.C Court of Appeals, seeking access to the classified portions of the administrative record, the State Department has stated that neither the LTTE nor its counsel is entitled access to the classified portions of the record.
Computers destined for Jaffna re-routed to Polannaruwa
The Ministry of Education has re-routed computers earmarked for the Jaffna Technical College to its counterpart in Pollannaruwa in the North Central Province, said sources in the Ministry of Higher Education. Fifteen computers were purchased by the Ministry of Higher Education because of the persistent demands made by the Jaffna Technical College for these instruments.
First flight fiasco
Passengers waiting to catch the first flight of the Monara Airlines to Colombo at the Palaly airbase today were stranded as the aircraft of the new service which had flown in from the capital returned without picking them up.
Mankulam artillery duels continue
The Voice of Tigers radio said this evening that a LTTE fighter who was wounded yesterday in a confrontation with troops of Operation Jayasikurui died this morning. The radio gave his name as Chellakili (Francis Xavier Roudent, Jaffna).
SLA claims Mankulam advance
Reports from Vavuniya said that mortar and artillery fire continued to rock the Mankulam area through the night as large columns of the SLA attempted to push out of their positions to the east and to the west of the strategic junction.
Renovated Jaffna Stadium opened
The completely renovated Alfred Duraiappa Stadium in Jaffna town was ceremonially declared open by Brigadier Shantha Kottegoda, the General Commanding Officer (GOC) of the SLA's 51 division, this afternoon at 3.30 p.m.
Indian fishermen arrested
The Sri Lankan Police produced six fishermen from Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu in the Jaffna district court today. They had been arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy in mid sea. They said that SLAF helicopters had fired on them while they were out at sea near the Sri Lankan maritime zone yesterday.
Fisherman shot dead
The Sri Lankan Navy shot dead a fisherman from Katkovalam near Pt. Pedro in Jaffna yesterday. He was identified as Aarumugam Lavan, 21. He was shot dead while he was out at sea.
Suicide after long detention
A 35 year old man who became chronically ill after spending 18 months in the Vavuniya transit camp committed suicide last Thursday, frustrated that he could not find work due to his condition which had persisted even after his release.
Malaria patients die in Vanni hospital
The Mallavi hospital treated 9064 patients suffering from Malaria during the month of January this year said medical sources in the Vanni. Of these 10 patients died, 364 had to be warded and 8700 received treatment in the OPD.
Vanni artillery battles continue
Heavy mortar and artillery duels are being fought in the general area of Mankulam from 9 p.m. last night said sources in Vavuniya today. The army launched a fresh heavy artillery and mortar barrage from its positions to the east and south of the strategic junction on the Vavuniya-Jaffna highway. This began late last night after a lull in fighting during the day.
Police interrogate girl over convoy attack
The Sri Lankan Police in Trincomalee is interrogating a girl working in the accounts department of the Naval base in the eastern port whom it has accused of passing information to the Liberation Tigers about the SLN convoy which was attacked by the Sea Tigers last Sunday.
War to end this year - President
The Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunge said today that she will finish the war before the end of this year and that she will hold elections to the provincial councils in August. The Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge also said that a political solution will be implemented before the end of this year.
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