SLA post in Kathirkaamam attacked

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 October 2008, 05:07 GMT]
Armed men attacked a Sri Lanka Army post in Kathirkaamam (Kataragama) in Hambantota district Sunday morning around 8:00 a.m., gunning down an SLA soldier who was on duty at the post, according to initial reports.
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17 DMK MPs submit resignation letters to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 October 2008, 10:22 GMT]
Following Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Kalaignar Karunanidhi's ultimatum to the Central Government of India Tuesday on the national issue of Eezam Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka, 17 Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam including 2 Central ministers handed their resignation letters Friday to CM Karunanidhi in Chennai, media reports in Chennai said. Meanwhile, Tamil Film Industry will hold a rally Sunday in Rameswaram demanding the Centre to take efforts to stop the war on Eezham Tamils.
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Beginning the end of war with Tamil right to self determination

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 October 2008, 08:06 GMT]
Those who peruse the demands raised by major political parties in Tamil Nadu may notice that the focus is merely on stopping the war but nothing said by any on the fundamental issue of the sovereignty of the Tamil nation in the island of Sri Lanka, the question on which war has been thrust upon the Eezham Tamils. Any meaningful way to end the war and the suffering of the masses in Sri Lanka should therefore begin from recognizing the right to self-determination of Eezham Tamils and the integrity of their homeland, writes Opinion Columnist Chivanadi.
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SLA soldier recovered dead in Mukamaalai FDL

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 October 2008, 18:26 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Mukamaalai Front Defence Line area on finding an SLA soldier dead with gunshot wounds Wednesday early morning at his post informed Kodikaamam police. Gunshot wounds found on the body indicate that he had been shot at from behind and it is unlikely that he committed suicide, the police said.
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Time for India to re-think, says Singaporean scholar

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 October 2008, 16:21 GMT]
The all-party resolution in Tamil Nadu should provide New Delhi an opportunity to do some introspection about its Sri Lanka policy, says TS Gopi Rethinaraj of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore in an article that appeared in Hindustan Times on Thursday. Unless India is able to lock SL in a broad bilateral security relationship, their leadership will have no qualms about allowing China or Pakistan to get a foothold, he says. "This is the real danger of India's current policy facilitating the military defeat of the LTTE. If India were to take a hard-nosed view of its interests, a subtle shift in its position on the LTTE will go a long way in safeguarding its strategic interests in the region besides securing the interests of ethnic Tamils in the island."
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Karunanidhi announces human chain demonstration on Eelam issue

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 October 2008, 11:31 GMT]
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Kalaignar Karunanidhi has announced that a human chain demonstration would be held in Chennai on October 21 to remind the Union Government of India about the state's ultimatum on the national question of Eezham Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka. The resolution demanded the Central Government to take measures to ensure that there is no war in Sri Lanka and that peace prevails in Tamil homeland.
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STF shoots dead 2 Tamils, 2 Muslims in Ampaa'rai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 2008, 19:26 GMT]
Sri Lanka Special Task Force (STF) commandos opened fire Thursday around 6:00 a.m, on four farmers, two of them Tamils and two Muslims, killing them at Vaddamadu pasture land in Thirukkoayil police division in Ampaa'rai district.
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Civilian shot dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 2008, 18:40 GMT]
Two unidentified armed men on motorbike shot dead a 42-year old family man Thursday afternoon in Thirunelveali area in Jaffna around 100 meters from his house, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna magistrate Vasanthasenan conducted the inquest at the site of the incident and directed Jaffna police to hand over the body to Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
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IDPs to be resettled in Chennaiyoor in Moothoor east

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 2008, 18:38 GMT]
226 members of 71 families who fled from Chennaiyoor village in Moothoor east in Trincomalee district following the military operation launched by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in April 2006 are to be resettled in their homes, civil society sources from Trincomalee said. The displaced have been staying in welfare centres located in Chengkaladi, Soukaddi, Sathurukondaan, Kokuvil, Navatkudaa, Ee'raavoor, Ka'luvaagnchikkudi and Maavadiveambu in Batticaloa district.
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SLA attempt to advance thwarted in Northern FDL - LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 2008, 14:21 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) on Thursday claimed that their defensive formations thwarted an attempt by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to advance into their territory across Mukamaalai Forward Defence Line (FDL) in Jaffna. Heavy fighting that erupted at 5:30 a.m. lasted till 2:30 p.m., the Tigers said, claiming that more than 15 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and at least 40 wounded in the fighting.
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Shelling blocks access route, UN convoy returns to Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 2008, 13:59 GMT]
28 lorries in a humanitarian convoy that included the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) supplies, which left Oamanthai entry point to Vanni at 2:30 p.m. Thursday returned back to Vavuniyaa, unable to proceed into Vanni due to artillery shelling. Two shells exploded near the convoy, according to the officials who returned back with supplies to Vavuniyaa. Meanwhile, humanitarian oficials in Vanni said that the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) Vanni Command were fully aware of the itinerary of the convoy and blamed the SLA for sabotaging humanitarian supplies by firing shells on the access route. The same tactic was adopted earlier by the SLA in Vaakarai in Batticaloa district, they further charged.
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Clashes erupt in Jaffna FDL

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 2008, 13:01 GMT]
Clashes between Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) erupted Thursday early morning in Thenmaraadchi Front Defence Line, after direct confrontations between Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and the LTTE's Sea Tigers in Jaffna lagoon Wednesday night, according to the sources in Jaffna. As SLA in Jaffna has not released any information about this clash it is not known whether the clashes indicated a limited SLA military offensive.
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SLAF steps up air attacks in Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 October 2008, 13:58 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers dropped more than ten bombs Wednesday around 9:10 a.m. on the civilian settlements in Manthuvil along Puthukkudiyiruppu - Mullaiththeevu road destroying eight houses. The bombers again dropped eight bombs on Keappapilavu civilian settlements along Puthukkudiyiruppu-Mu'l'liyawa'lai around 10:50 a.m destroying seven houses besides causing severe damage to paddy-fields. The attacks caused heavy damage to two roads.
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SLA enters Magazine prison, abuse Tamil prisoners - MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 October 2008, 08:45 GMT]
Around 20 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) personnel Wednesday entered the Magazine Prison in Colombo, verbally abused and stripped the detainees sexually harassing them, the prisoners complained to Tamil National Alliance Batticaloa district parliamentarian P. Ariyaneththiran.
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37 civilians arrested in Anuradhapura

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 October 2008, 19:55 GMT]
Thirty seven civilians, including Tamils and Sinhalese, were taken into custody for questioning in a search operation conducted Sunday from dawn till dusk, civil sources said. Following the killing of Major General (retd) Janaka Perera and 29 others, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers are conducting cordon and search operations in hotels and business establishments in Anuradhapura town and suburbs daily.
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2 SLA soldiers, STF commando killed in Ampaa'rai - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 October 2008, 13:27 GMT]
A commando team of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE), attached to the Batticaloa Command of the Tigers, attacked a Field-bike Road Patrol of the Sri Lanka Army, killing two SLA soldiers Tuesday around 3:00 p.m. in Maha Oya division of Ampaa'rai district, according to a media release issued by the political division of the LTTE in Batticaloa. Meanwhile, LTTE's Ampaa'rai command claimed that a Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) commando was killed in a booby trap explosion in Kangchikudichchaa'ru in Ampaa'rai.
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Power cut to be reduced to 30 minutes in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 October 2008, 12:13 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities in Palaali SLA Head Quarters instructed Jaffna Sri Lanka Electricity Board (SLEB) to reduce the power cut imposed daily to 30 minutes, from the current 90 minutes with effect from Monday, in a high level meeting held with the SLEB officials who were summoned to the meeting. The new directive is to be carried out on a trial basis, SLA said.
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60 SLA wounded in Akkaraayan fighting on Sunday - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 October 2008, 03:09 GMT]
More than sixty Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were wounded Sunday when Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) defensive units put up heavy resistance to the SLA offensive forces along the Akkaraayan - Mu'rika'ndi Road, LTTE officials told media in Vanni on Monday.
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Sri Lankan forces blast bridge on humanitarian access route in Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 October 2008, 02:44 GMT]
Pearaa'ru bridge, located on Maangku'lam - Oddisuddaan Road, which branches off from the A9, the access route which was used by the World Food Programme (WFP) humanitarian convoy to Vanni during the first week of October has been destroyed by the Sri Lankan forces in joint attacks carried out since Sunday. In the meantime, rain has started to fall in densely populated areas in Vanni on Tuesday. Many of the refugees living under the trees were forced to seek shelter in buildings, temples, churches and with the neighbouring houses.
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Resettled Moothoor IDPs lack basic facilities

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 October 2008, 21:40 GMT]
461 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) belonging to 159 resettled last week in Kaddaippa'richchaan South, Kaddaippa'richchaan East Grama Sevaka (Village Level Administrator) Divisions in Moothoor East are facing severe hardships due to lack of basic amenities.
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