Over 100 arrested in combined search

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 August 2001, 17:18 GMT]
More than one hundred Tamils were arrested during a major cordon and search operation in Kochchikade, about 50 km. north of Colombo Thursday morning. More than one thousand Army and Police personnel were deployed during the operation, police said.

Police in Negombo said 140 Tamils who were arrested during the operation are being questioned at the local police station. Fifty-seven of them are residents of the northern and eastern provinces, and the rest from the hill-country areas, the police said.

"All are being interrogated by special investigators as they are unable to provide necessary documents for the stay in Negombo," a spokesman for the Negombo police said.

Human rights sources said that about one hundred Tamils arrested following the attack on Katunayake airbase and airport last month in the adjoining areas are still being detained at the Negombo police station and other detention centres elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Kfir jets of the Sri Lanka Air Force bombed LTTE held positions at Nagarkovil area in Jaffna district and Thoppigala areas in the eastern province Thursday, consecutively for the fourth day, according Sri Lanka Army spokesman, Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne.