Security stepped up for Black Tigers day
[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 July 2001, 16:29 GMT]
Government troops stepped up security measures in towns in the north and east of the island as Liberation Tigers observed Black Tigers day Thursday. In Mannar Sri Lanka Army soldiers announced over loud hailers that stern action would be taken against businessmen who closed their establishments to mark the day. "Shops that remain closed would be forcibly opened, and they would not be allowed to open for the next eight days" the army announced, according to residents in the town.
Earlier posters appeared in the Mannar town urging the business establishments to remain closed Thursday to mark Black Tigers day. Similar posters were also put up in Jaffna said sources. Army and Special Task Force elite troops patrolled Vavuniya town and intensified road checks, said sources there. People were stopped and their residents pass and national identity cards were checked, the sources said. Meanwhile a large number of people participated in Black Tigers day celebrations in the LTTE held areas. Red and Yellow flags were seen in all villages, reports said. Black Tigers day is observed to commemorate the contributions of the LTTE's elite squad of the same name, which forms the basis of the organisation's black operations and suicide attacks. The first Black Tiger, Cpt. Miller, died in a suicide attack on the Sri Lanka Army camp at Nelliyadi in the northern Jaffna peninsula on 5 July 1987. Meanwhile Sri Lanka Army sources claimed that 12 Liberation Tigers were either killed wounded when troops attacked their positions at Uyilankulam, in the Mannar district Thursday morning. Five SLA soldiers were also wounded in the incident according to army sources. The LTTE has not commented on the incident.
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