Heavy fighting in Olumadu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
11 SLA soldiers have been killed and another 5 reported missing since fresh fighting erupted as troops of Operation Jaya Sukurui attempted to advance in a 3-pronged offensive to capture the strategic Mankulam junction, said army sources in Vavuniya. More than 72 SLA soldiers, including 2 senior officers are injured in the latest fighting, they said.
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55-Division GOC and his deputy injured

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 55-division, his deputy and a Principle Staff Officer (PSO) have been wounded in the ongoing offensive towards Mankulam in the Vanni.
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SLA officer killed and 41 injured - VoT

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in its night broadcast today that one Sri Lankan Army officer was killed and 41, including 2 officers, were wounded this morning in shelling by the Liberation Tigers on troops of Operation Jaya Sukurui, who are fighting to advance toward Mankulam.
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Army mounts fresh offensive

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan army restarted Operation Jayasikurui towards Mankulam at the first light of dawn today said government military sources in Vavuniya. According to initial reports from the front, four soldiers were wounded in the P-1, P-2 categories by fire from the positions of the Liberation Tigers in an around Mankulam they said.
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Vehicle ban temporarily lifted

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government agreed to temporarily lift the ban on vehicles leaving the Batticaloa and Ampara districts for two weeks last evening after widespread protest from Tamil and Muslim politicians in the east. The Secretary of the Ministry of Defence said yesterday the the ban would be imposed again at the end of two weeks.
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Sri Lankan intelligence officer commits suicide

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A young officer attached to the Batticaloa unit of the Sri Lankan National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) committed suicide this morning around 7.15 a.m. frustrated allegedly over the denial of a transfer. The young NIB officer was identified as Undugoda, 24.
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SLA shells village west of Mankulam

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
455 families fled from the village of Vannivilankulam, as the Sri Lankan Army launched a heavy long range artillery and mortar bombardment of the area.
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Three policemen killed

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers attacked the Sri Lankan Police post in Pachchnoor, south of Muthur in the Trincomalee district in the early hours of the morning today killing three Policemen and wounding four said Police sources in the eastern port town.
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Three Tigers killed

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in its night broadcast today that the Liberation Tigers attacked a group of SLA soldiers traveling in a tractor between Nayinamadu and Mathiyamadu, about seven kilometers northeast of the Puliyankulam junction this morning around 10.45 a.m.
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Church intervenes over student malnutrition

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Human Development Centre (HUDC), the relief and rehabilitation arm of the Catholic Church in Jaffna, is providing nutritious vegetable soup to students in all schools in the Wanni, said sources in Vavuniya.
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Senior SLA officer wounded

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Col. Jagath Jayasuriya, one of the most experienced commanding officers of the SLA's fighting brigades currently involved in Operation Jayasikurui, the ten month long offensive to wrest control of the A9 highway to the Jaffna peninsula, was critically injured in a land mine blast in the general area of Olumadu this afternoon, said army sources in Vavuniya.
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LTTE fighter killed in Moondumurippu

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers said in its night broadcast today that the SLA and the army clashed in Moondumurippu last evening, in which a Tiger called Kodai Arasan (Selvarasa Sivarasa of Nedunkerni in Mullaithivu) was killed.
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SLA claims Mankulam advance

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Reports from Vavuniya said that mortar and artillery fire continued to rock the Mankulam area through the night as large columns of the SLA attempted to push out of their positions to the east and to the west of the strategic junction.
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Vanni artillery battles continue

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Heavy mortar and artillery duels are being fought in the general area of Mankulam from 9 p.m. last night said sources in Vavuniya today. The army launched a fresh heavy artillery and mortar barrage from its positions to the east and south of the strategic junction on the Vavuniya-Jaffna highway. This began late last night after a lull in fighting during the day.
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Suicide after long detention

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A 35 year old man who became chronically ill after spending 18 months in the Vavuniya transit camp committed suicide last Thursday, frustrated that he could not find work due to his condition which had persisted even after his release.
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Time bomb injures PLOTE cadre

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A timed explosive devise went off around 12 this noon in a tree under which the PLOTE has a forward sentry point at Vavunathivu, five kilometers north west of Batticaloa town, injuring a PLOTE cadre identified as Tharmalingam Asokan, 21 of Vavuniya. The PLOTE maintains a sentry point ahead of the army's last checkpoint near the Vavunathivu main camp.
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Fresh SLA thrust towards Mankulam

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The SLA said that the troops of Operation Jayasikurui have begun a fresh thrust towards Mankulam from their current positions east, west and south of the strategic junction on the highway to Jaffna from Vavuniya.
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Soldier injured by friendly fire

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A SLA soldier was injured by friendly fire, in the Vavunatheevu main camp, 5 km northwest of Batticaloa by the western shore of the Batticaloa lagoon, when it was hit by mortar shells fired from one of its satellite camps 1 km to the east at about 11.30 a.m. this morning, said sources in Batticaloa.
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Senior TELO member killed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Suspected members of the Liberation Tigers shot dead a senior operative of a paramilitary group working with the Special Task Force in Batticaloa last night around 10.30 p.m.
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Tigers hand over 16 SLA bodies

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in the Vanni today, 16 bodies of Sri Lankan Army (SLA) personnel killed at Olumadu yesterday, said ICRC sources in Colombo.
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