SLA loses tanks, withdraws - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers announced in the Wanni this evening that the Sri Lankan Army launched a three pronged offensive from it's positions in Olumadu and Moondumuripu in the early hours of the morning today. They said that they counter attacked the SLA's advance and that there was fierce fighting from morning 5 a.m. to 12 noon.
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Sea-going Home Guards?

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government announced today that it will establish an 'Ocean Security Brigade' formed with ten thousand combat trained personnel drawn mainly from the fishing community in the Sinhala coastal provinces.
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Police patrol ambushed

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two Sri Lankan Policemen and a home guard were killed when the Liberation Tigers ambushed a Police road clearing patrol this morning, around 7.45 a.m., in Avaravanthalawa, 30 km. south of Vavuniya, said police sources in Vavuniya.
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Skirmish at Olumadu

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
One soldier was killed and four wounded when SLA troops constructing bunkers at Olumadu, 4 km east of Mankulam on the Mankulam-Mullaitheevu Road were attacked by the Liberation Tigers around 10.00 a.m. yesterday, said sources in Vavuniya.
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Home guards bound for warfront

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Seven thousand home-guards have been issued automatic assault rifles and are now being trained by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to man the forward defence lines (FDLs) on the Anuradhapura - Vavuniya border that divides the war torn north-east Sri Lanka from the rest of the country, said military sources.
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Second ship fails to show

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Government reneged on its commitment to dispatch two vessels to carry refugees and other passengers from Trincomalee back to the Jaffna peninsula, said sources in Vavuniya today. Despite assurances, only one vessel, 'Sajitha' was expected to put into Trincomalee harbour before carrying 500 passengers from the Trincomalee District back to Jaffna.
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Transit camp inmates stage protest fast

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
More than two thousand people went on a token protest fast in front of the Trincomalee town and gravets divisional secretary's office today demanding that they should be sent to Jaffna as soon as possible. Many of these have been languishing in transit camps in Trincomalee town and its suburbs for more than six months for a passage to Jaffna by ship.
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No confidence motion against Gen. Ratwatte?

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) will seek an adjournment debate on the indiscriminate arrests and harassment of Tamils in Colombo and other parts of the country when the Sri Lankan Parliament resumes sittings tomorrow.
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With extreme prejudice

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The racial hatred that had been simmering at the Kalutara prison where Tamils arrested under the infamous Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) are remanded, exploded into naked violence on December 12 last year, resulting in the deaths of three Tamils who were being held under preventive detention.
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Request for boat service turned down

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The secretary to the Sri Lankan President Mr. K. Balapatabendi turned down a suggestion by the PLOTE deputy leader to begin a passenger boat service to Jaffna from Mannar on the grounds that the A9 highway from Vavuniya to the peninsula would be opened soon at a conference this afternoon to discuss the security related problems of fisheries in Jaffna.
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6 SLA Soldiers killed - Radio

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers said in their morning news broadcast today that six SLA soldiers were killed in two attacks by Liberation Tigers in Jaffna on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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Repair vehicles destroyed on A-9

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A group of armed persons, suspected to be members of the Liberation Tigers, blasted three heavy vehicles of the Sri Lankan government's Road Development Authority (RDA) which were engaged in rebuilding the A-9 highway to Jaffna between Vavuniya and Kanakarayan Kulam this afternoon around 2 p.m. at Vaarikkuttiyoor on the Vavuniya Mannar road.
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Giant refugee camp planned

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The PLOTE's deputy leader, Manikkam Daasan, objected strongly today to the Sri Lankan government's proposal to establish a giant refugee camp in Vavuniya to house refugees from the areas of the Vanni which do not come under the control of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and who are awaiting transport to the Jaffna peninsula, said sources in Vavuniya.
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Mother's grief compounded by red tape

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Kamaldevi (28), from Parappankandal, a village in Wanni which is under Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) control, was denied even the sombre consoloation of seeing to her infant daughter's funeral rites, because she did not possess a valid travel pass entitling her to stay overnight in Anurdhapura Hospital, said sources in Vavuniya.
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Protest over transit delays

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A group of civilians staged a protest fast in front of the Vavuniya Kachcheri this morning from 8 a.m. demanding that the authorities should take steps to immediately send them back to Jaffna.
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Auto-rickshaw drivers demonstrate

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
More than three hundred auto-rickshaw drivers demonstrated in front of the PLOTE office in Trincomalee town today demanding the immediate release of one of their colleagues who had been abducted by the organisation on March 21. The PLOTE had locked up its office as the drivers were demonstrating outside.
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Old Kandy road to lead SLA to Kilinochi?

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Army said today that it has advanced several kilometers north of its positions at Karuppattamurippu which is on the road running east from Mankulam junction to Mullaithivu through Ottisuddan.
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Heavy SLA shelling displaces civilians - Radio

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in its night broadcast today that the Sri Lankan Army heavily shelled Vannivilankulam and Kollavilankulam yesterday and Monday, leading to displacement of civilians in the area.
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Eastern province facing isolation

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government has decided to stop the movement of vehicles out of the eastern province from March. 27. No vehicles from the Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara districts will be allowed to proceed beyond specified points on the access roads to the province which are currently in use from this date.
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LTTE mortars inflict heavy damage

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
More than hundred and nine SLA soldiers, including officers, have been wounded since the latest phase of Operation Jayasikurui began on Saturday March 14. In the three days of intense fighting more than 22 soldiers have been killed said SLA sources in Vavuniya today. Twenty eight soldiers were wounded last evening and 10 today.
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