'Targeted killing of LTTE Chief Negotiator shatters hopes for peace' - TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 November 2007, 11:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s largest Tamil political party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Friday expressed its shock at the killing in a government airstrike of Mr S. P. Thamilchelvan the LTTE’s Chief Negotiator and head of its Political Wing and five other LTTE officials. The TNA said the targeted killing of the LTTE’s Chief Negotiator underlined President Mahinda Rajapakse’s insincerity towards a negotiated solution, the TNA also said.
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Pirapaharan decorates LTTE heroes of Anuradhapura

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 November 2007, 19:45 GMT]
Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE), on Thursday conferred Awards of Valour for Tiger cadres who excelled in their performance in the Anuradhapura operation against the Sri Lankan airbase. Four categories of awards, instituted for the first time, were bestowed on this occasion at a special venue organized in Vanni, in the presence of Tiger commanders and cadres, LTTE officials told TamilNet.
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Rights group launches campaign against attacks on Journalists in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 October 2007, 08:03 GMT]
Expressing concern on the level of prevailing impunity of the killings of media personnel in Sri Lanka, the Asian Human Rights Commission, citing 11 cases where 12 Tamil media personnel were killed since 31 May 2004 till 29 April 2007, on Tuesday urged the public to write letters to the concerned Sri Lankan authorities demanding impartial investigation in order to identify and bring the perpetrators to justice. "Not a single person has been brought before the court," in the 11 cases, the AHRC noted and urged the public to forward a copy of their appeal to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.
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APRC on hiatus

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 October 2007, 12:56 GMT]
Despite claims by Colombo media in early August that the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) formed by Sri Lanka's President Rajapakse has met with "sudden death," amid opposition from SLFP, MEP and the JHU to the "unit of devolution" ahead of the Committee report deadline of 15 August, the APRC discussions were resurrected; the latest on the resilient APRC is that after the 51st sitting on the 23rd October, the APRC is taking a 2 month recess, reports from Colombo said. The current status: APRC is "exploring the possibility of reaching consensus among the political parties on power sharing."
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6 SLN killed in Tiger ambush in Hambantota

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 October 2007, 12:02 GMT]
A guerilla commando unit of Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Thursday evening ambushed a Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) vehicle, a bus carrying more than 25 SLN personnel, in Thissamaharama in the Hambantota division of the southern province, killing 6 SLN personnel, LTTE military spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan told TamilNet. Claiming that the attack was a gunfire ambush, Mr. Ilanthirayan said 12 SLN personnel were wounded in the attack that took place at 16:35 p.m. Thissamaharama division is situated in the constituency of the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa.
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Tigers claim Anuradhapura air base attack success, say 8 aircrafts destroyed

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 October 2007, 05:55 GMT]
Twenty-one elite Black Tiger commandos penetrated into the heart of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) air base in Anuradhapura at 3:20 a.m. Monday, destroyed and set ablaze eight aircrafts, including helicopter gunships, reconnaissance aircraft and a training aircraft, in a raid code named "Operation Ellaa'lan," Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) military spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said. Air Tiger aircrafts joined the attack at 4:30 a.m., providing support in the destruction of the SLAF base, and safely returned to their bases in Vanni, the Tigers said. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan spokesman Keheliya Rambukwela said 3 helicopters were damaged, 13 airmen were killed and 18 wounded.
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Tigers launch air, ground attack on Anuradhapura air base

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 October 2007, 23:47 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) launched an air and ground attack on Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) air base at Saliyapura in Anuradhapura in the early hours of Monday, Liberation Tigers Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan told TamilNet. Meanwhile, military sources in Colombo said two Russian built MI-24 helicopter gunships have been destroyed in the attack launched between 3:00 and 5:00 a.m. A pilot, his co-pilot and two engineers who took off from the air base, were killed when their Bell 212 helicopter crashed at Doramadalawa, 13 km east of Anuradhapura, in Mihintale area. An indefinite curfew has been clamped in Anuradhapura. Residents have been asked to stay indoors.
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SLA mini-camp in Yala overrun - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 October 2007, 14:33 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) have overrun a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp near Yala sanctuary in southern Sri Lanka Monday evening, LTTE field officials in Ampaa'rai told TamilNet. 6 SLA troopers were killed, and many wounded in the raid which took place 40 km south of Poththuvil, the Tigers said, claiming that the camp was under their control for 3 hours during which time they seized arms and ammunitions from the camp. The Yala sanctuary, one of the island's main tourist attractions, lies on the southern end of the Ampaa'rai district.
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Strategy behind rights violations said not exposed

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 October 2007, 06:55 GMT]
The gross statistics on death and disappearances in Jaffna is known to everyone, and they paint a picture of military rule, but "the real reason behind the violations, the Sri Lankan military machine conducting the death theatre, and the depth of fear instilled into the civilians in Jaffna to witness against the perpetrators, are not exposed to the world," said Liberation Tigers Human Rights Spokesperson N. Selvy as hundreds of crying family members of the victims were blocked in Jaffna by the Sri Lanka Army from seeing the visiting High Commissioner Louise Arbour, on Friday. The SLA blocked journalists from entering the UNHCR office, GA's office, UN office and the Bishop's House.
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6 STF commandos killed, 10 injured in Ampaa'rai - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 October 2007, 16:53 GMT]
Six Special Task Force (STF) elite commandos were killed and 10 others were injured in two separate attacks by the Liberation Tigers in the south-eastern Ampaa'rai district, Monday evening, LTTE's political head for the region, Kaviyarasan told TamilNet.
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SLA blocks SLMM officials at Oamanthai border

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 October 2007, 06:58 GMT]
Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Northern Region officials scheduled to meet Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials in Ki'linochchi Thursday noon were blocked from crossing the Oamanthai entry point by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) due to new instructions from Colombo, General Secretary of Liberation Tigers Peace Secretariat, S. Puleedevan, told TamilNet. By refusing entry to the SLMM, Colombo was trying to block the information flow between the SLMM and the LTTE, he charged. Meanwhile, SLMM sources said the monitors had returned after being informed of new routines that involved going through a body check, inspection of vehicles and early enlistment of travelers.
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SLA suffer heavy casualties in Northern Front - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 September 2007, 12:49 GMT]
Heavy fighting ensued between a unit of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and the fighters of Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Monday morning when the SLA unit attempted to move towards LTTE Forward Defence Line in Ki'laali in the Northern Front Monday morning around 5:00 a.m. Liberation Tigers said they inflicted heavy losses to the Sri Lanka Army and four of their fighters were killed in action. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan military officials in Colombo claimed only one soldier was killed in action.
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Barmy Army to Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 September 2007, 08:49 GMT]
The British High Commissioner, speaking at the Ceylon Hotel School Graduates Association in Habarana, on Saturday, praised the tourism potentiality of Sri Lanka and the "smiling faces" of Sri Lankan people. He was hopeful of England's touring fans, the Barmy Army to Sri Lanka on the eve of England's cricket tour. Meanwhile, a Sri Lankan academic in the field of cultural tourism told TamilNet that western tourists, ever crazy about novelty, chose Sri Lanka as a destination in recent times to get the thrill of being in a war zone.
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Death threats to Jaffna university student leaders, faculty heads

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 September 2007, 12:14 GMT]
Pamphlets containing a death-list of thirteen members of Jaffna University Student Union (JUSU) and faculty heads were pasted in the campus walls Friday night, creating fear among the undergraduates, and disrupting normal educational activities, sources in Jaffna said. Unless immediate efforts are taken to stop the death threats, the students will be forced to agitate, JUSU representatives who wish to remain anonymous said to TamilNet Saturday.
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SLAF bombs Visuvamadu in Vanni

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 September 2007, 08:44 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) kfir bombers dropped eight bombs in two sorties Friday between 12:15 a.m and 12:40 p.m on Visuvamadu junction, behind the shops in the area, in Puthukkudiyiruppu DS division of Mullaitheevu distirict, sources in Vanni said. A 65-year-old man identified as Nagappan and a child aged 3 years 3 months sustained injuries in the bombing while 5 students in a school located 800 meters from the bombed area fainted in shock of the exploding bombs.
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LTTE's patience intentional - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 September 2007, 08:18 GMT]
"Without caring for International policies and passive requests, the Government of Sri Lanka is continuing its genocidal war against the Tamil people. The concerns raised by the International Community have failed to make any dent on the ethnic cleansing by Colombo government which has proved itself a terrorist-state. Some International governments, without understanding realities, give aid to the deceitful purposes of the Sinhala government, which will only escalate the island's ethnic conflict to hitherto unseen heights," said LTTE's Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan in an exclusive interview to TamilNet on Wednesday.
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Hope amid tragedy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 September 2007, 19:40 GMT]
Antony, a six year old boy lost his leg, his 4-year old brother Reginathan was killed, his mother and 6-month old brother were injured, and his father Jegan lost his leg during 02 January attack by Kfir fast attack aircrafts of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) at the coastal hamlet of Padakuththu’rai in Iluppaikadavai, Mannar town. Jegan lost four of his siblings. Amidst this tragedy, Antony showed remarkable resilience and a unique enthusiasm for his school work when TamilNet visited the family for an interview this week.
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STF attacks underage youths en route to parents - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 August 2007, 06:56 GMT]
Fourteen underage youths, 9 boys and 5 girls, who were being taken to be handed over to their parents in Amparai district by the political division of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) and the members of the Child Protection Authority (CPA), dispatched from Vanni to ensure the release, were ambushed by the Special Task Force (STF) commandos at Thaa'ndiyadi in Amparai district Monday around 6:00 p.m. The underage youths were being taken to a civilian populated area in accordance with an arrangement for handover reached between the LTTE and the UN children's agency, UNICEF, LTTE District Political Head of Ampaa'rai, P. Kavaiyarasan told TamilNet.
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STF ambushes released underage youth

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 August 2007, 04:50 GMT]
Fourteen underage youths, 9 boys and 5 girls, who were being taken to be handed over to their parents in Amparai district by the political division of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) and the members of the Child Protection Authority (CPA), dispatched from Vanni to ensure the release, were ambushed by the Special Task Force (STF) commandos at Thaa'ndiyadi in Amparai district Monday around 6:00 p.m. The underage youths were being taken to a civilian populated area in accordance with an arrangement for handover reached between the LTTE and the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, LTTE District Political Head of Ampaa'rai, P. Kavaiyarasan told TamilNet.
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STF ambushes released underage youth en route to parents - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 August 2007, 02:46 GMT]
Fourteen underage youths, 9 boys and 5 girls, who were being taken to be handed over to their parents in Amparai district by the political division of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) and the members of the Child Protection Authority (CPA), dispatched from Vanni to ensure the release, were ambushed by the Special Task Force (STF) commandos at Thaa'ndiyadi in Amparai district Monday around 6:00 p.m. The underage youths were being taken to a civilian populated area in accordance with an arrangement for handover reached between the LTTE and the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, LTTE District Political Head of Ampaa'rai, P. Kavaiyarasan told TamilNet.
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