News in Brief

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 September 1998, 17:49 GMT]
The inaugural meeting of the New Jaffna Mothers' Front was held in Jaffna town today, search operation in Vadamaradchi east and three killed in Jaffna shootings.

Inauguration of Mothers' Front

A women's organisation called the New Jaffna Mothers' Front was inaugurated today in Jaffna. Kanakaambikai Selvarajah was elected its President and Gowry Veluchchaami as secretary.

A spokesperson for the Front said that this organisation had to be formed because there were difficulties in officially registering the Jaffna Mother's Front with the Sri Lankan authorities.

The Jaffna Mothers' Front was formed in 1984 and was in the forefront of many agitations and protests against the Sri Lankan regime and the Indian army.

The inaugural meeting of the New Jaffna Mothers' Front was held at the office of the Missing Persons Guardian Association (MPGA) on Stanley road in Jaffna town today.

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Search operation in Jaffna

The SLA from the Thaalaiady camp on the south-eastern coast of Jaffna cordoned off and searched the village of Maamunai and the Model Palmyrah Plantation area this morning from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The army had searched the area on a tip off said a resident in the area.

However, he said that he was not aware of whether anyone was arrested during the operation.

The SLA also rounded up and searched Puttalai and Katkovalam yesterday from 3 a.m. to 6 p.m. No one was arrested.

The two villages are south of the Pt. Pedro town in Jaffna.

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A Tiger killed in SLA ambush

Two persons were shot dead in the early hours of the morning at Kotraawaththai on the Vathiri road in Jaffna. Their bodies were handed over to the Manthikai hospital this afternoon by the Sri Lankan Police.

Unconfirmed reports said that the two persons were shot dead by the Liberation Tigers for providing information to the army about the activities of the rebels in the area.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Security Forces Headquarters at Palaly said in a press note this evening that its troops had ambushed a group of Tigers on September 18 at 10.30 p.m. in Nunaavil south and killed one of them.

The note said that his T-56 rifle and magazine were recovered.