LTTE, SLA de-mine to open access route

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 August 1999, 11:23 GMT]
Work on opening a safe passage for civilians on the A9 at Mankulam began at 11:30 a.m. yesterday. The ICRC delegate for Vavuniya, Sherine Pollini, and the ICRC delegate for Mallavi, Rene Walter, were present on either side of no man's land to witness the event and to facilitate the process.
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Army commandos assault TELO cadres

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 August 1999, 23:14 GMT]
Special Forces (SF) commandos of the Sri Lanka Army entered a TELO camp at Pandarikulam this morning, smashed it and assaulted eight of their members, said TELO sources. They said that two of the eight received gunshot injuries.
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Vavuniya traders demand access route

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 August 1999, 23:09 GMT]
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) officials in Mallavi and Vavuniya visited the LTTE and SLA Mankulam defence lines today while both parties were engaged in de-mining their respective areas, sources said.
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Special Forces commandos wounded in Vavuniya blast

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 August 1999, 06:54 GMT]
(Correction) Seven Special Forces (SF) commandos of the Sri Lanka Army were wounded this noon around 11.50 a.m. near Vavuniya town when the truck in which they were travelling was hit by a claymore mine.
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PLOTE member shot dead in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 August 1999, 16:46 GMT]
K.Uthayakumar alias Kannadikumar, 38, a senior member of the PLOTE military wing was shot dead around 7.30 p.m. this evening by an unidentified gunman near his house in Kovilkulam, a suburb of Vavuniya.
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Access route to be opened on Sunday

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 August 1999, 12:17 GMT]
The movement of civilians and food between the LTTE controlled areas of the Vanni and SLA controlled areas is set to resume on Sunday August 8, said government officials in Vavuniya today.
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Veppankulam blast was a claymore mine says Police

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 August 1999, 06:28 GMT]
The blast in which 12 Special Task Force (STF) commandos were killed at Veppankulam in Vavuniya was not caused by a suicide bomber said Police investigators this morning. Inquiries by the Vavuniya Police have revealed that it was a claymore type bicycle bomb attack.
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Safe passage can be opened next week -Balagalle

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 August 1999, 13:15 GMT]
The commander of the Sri Lankan security forces in the Vanni, Maj.Gen. Lionel Balagalle, said this afternoon that the message from the Liberation Tigers regarding the opening of a safe passage for civilians through forward defence positions was received by the Sri Lankan army around 11 a.m. today. He said that a reply by the SLA to the LTTE's message consenting to open a passage at Mankulam on the A9 highway was sent forthwith.
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CID seeks SLA evidence

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 August 1999, 11:00 GMT]
Mannar District Courts Judge M, Ilancheliyan Tuesday ordered the commanders of 21-2 Brigade in Mannar and 21-1 Brigade in Vavuniya to hand over any evidence connected to the suspects in the murder of Ida Hamilitta, to the CID officials who are now in charge of the case.
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Vanni patients reach Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 August 1999, 10:54 GMT]
Three patients from the Vanni area were brought to Vavuniya yesterday evening from the north-western town of Mannar having been evacuated from the Vanni by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said hospital sources.
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STF convoy attacked

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 August 1999, 07:11 GMT]
Ten Special Task Force (STF) commandos were killed and at least 22 wounded when a bomb exploded at Veppankulam, 3 km. north of Vavuniya around 12 noon today police sources said.
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More troop movement towards Vanni warfront

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 August 1999, 09:53 GMT]
The Deputy Defence Minister, General Anurudha Ratwatte, visited Vavuniya today to inspect the latest situation in the Vanni warfronts, said sources. He was accompanied by the Navy and Army Commanders and senior Police officials.
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New access routes proposed

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 August 1999, 13:28 GMT]
New proposals have been sent by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to the Liberation Tigers this morning regarding the opening of an access route to the areas held by the LTTE in the Vanni, Major General Lionel Balagalla the Chief of Staff and the Commandar for Vanni told a news conference held in Colombo this afternoon.
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Arrangements made for examinations

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 August 1999, 19:04 GMT]
Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan, the leader of the Political section of the LTTE held a discussion with the head of the ICRC and UNHCR delegations at Mallavi, in Vanni, at around 10.00p.m. last night, said the VoT in its night new bulletin.
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Decapitated body found near Madhu

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 July 1999, 21:00 GMT]
The decapitated body of a female and a body of a male were handed over to the Mannar hospital this afternoon around 4 p.m by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) said sources in Vavuniya.
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Examination papers to arrive via sea route

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 July 1999, 20:59 GMT]
Stationery and question papers for the GCE Advanced Level to the areas held by the LTTE will be sent tomorrow from Mannar via a sea route, said sources.
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Transformer destroyed in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 July 1999, 20:56 GMT]
Another transformer in Vavuniya town at the Soosaipillayaarkulam junction was blasted around 6 am today, said sources. This blast occurred within eight hours of the first transformer at Kurumankadu was blasted last night officials at the Ceylon Electricity Board said.
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News In Brief

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 July 1999, 14:19 GMT]
Two eletricity transformers are blasted, two firearms are said missing from policestation and a curfew is imposed in Eravur.
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Vavuniya students protest

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 July 1999, 19:27 GMT]
The senior students of five schools in Vavuniya town area staged a demonstration today, demanding the opening of an access route to the Vanni and the conduction of the Advanced Level examinations in the region, just as in other areas of Sri Lanka.
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'SLA used civilians as human shield'

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 1999, 18:16 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers in a statement issued today said that they had thwarted an attempt yesterday by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to advance using civilians as a human shield through the SLA forward defence lines at Moondumurippu-Nattaangkandal.
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