Jaffna doctors on token strike protesting collegue's murder

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 October 2008, 13:05 GMT]
Jaffna Teaching Hospital (JTH) doctors went on an hour's token strike Friday at 8:00 a.m, along with the one-day island wide strike launched by the Doctors in all Sri Lanka government hospitals, condemning the killing of the 38-year-old lady doctor, Ms. Laxmi Idumil in Hambantota in the south, by a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier on 29 September, sources in Jaffna said.
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3,000 SLA deserters to face military tribunal

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 October 2008, 10:58 GMT]
About three thousand deserted soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) including twenty one high ranking officers now under detention after arrest by the police are to be produced before military tribunal shortly, media sources reported quoting Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara.
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SLA soldiers attacked near electricity transformer in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 October 2008, 13:44 GMT]
Unidentified attackers attacked Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers posted at the electricity transformer area at Va'n'naaththi Paalam along Aadiyapaatham Veethi in Kokkuvil in Jaffna Thursday around 7:30 p.m. An explosion caused either by a hand grenade or by a Claymore device was heard from the place of attack, and gunfire followed the blast for nearly ten minutes, residents of the area said. There was no information on casualty or injuries to the SLA soldiers.
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SLA soldiers search Point Pedro SLTB depot

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 October 2008, 13:40 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna which has been engaged in intensive searches in most of the Saiva temples in Jaffna peninsula and their surroundings from Tuesday, extended the search to Point Pedro Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) Thursday, which lasted for nearly two and a half hours. No one was arrested or any objects were recovered during the search, employees of the depot said. The searches follow the attack on SLA soldiers Monday night at Maasiyappiddi in Valikaamam.
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SLA begins 4th recruitment drive

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 October 2008, 13:36 GMT]
Fourth recruitment drive since January, 2008, in Government controlled areas will continue till December 31 this year, according to media sources. The main aim of the recruitment is to fill current vacancies in permanent and volunteer forces in the SLA due to prevailing war.
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Multiple air strikes target civilian infrastructure in Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 October 2008, 13:22 GMT]
A key sluice transporting water to thousands of acres of agricultural lands in Vanni sustained damage in Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) indiscriminate bombardment Friday morning around 9:30 a.m., at Paravippaagnchaan, near Ki'linochchi town where LTTE's Peace Secretariat is located. Meanwhile, SLAF bombers dropped bombs in the vicinity of the UNICEF office located at Kaneasapuram in Ki'linochchi three times between 3:35 and 4:00 p.m. Centre for Women's Development and Rehabilitation (CWDR) was heavily damaged in the air strike.
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SLAF attacks Tamileelam Police HQ, artillery barrage on Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 October 2008, 04:58 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force Kfir bombers attacked the Headquarters complex of the Tamileelam Police, located along the A9 Road at the heart of Ki'linochchi town Friday around 9:30 a.m. Three bunker-busting bombs hit the premises of the Tamileelam Police, destroying a hall behind the Police HQ.The main building escaped destruction as Ratha Anti-Aircraft Unit of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileealm (LTTE) fired at the bombers. Two of the bombs hit the nearby store of the Tamils Rehabilitation Orgsniation (TRO) causing damage to it. The attack comes after continuous barrage of artillery and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) fire from 7:00 p.m. on Thursday to 4:30 a.m. on Friday, targeting the destruction of the township.
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Motorcycle gang abducts family man in Valikaamam

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 October 2008, 19:14 GMT]
Unidentified armed men arriving on more than seven motorcycles abducted a family man from his house in Cha'ndilippaay area in Valikaamam Wednesday night, according to the complaint made by his wife to Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office Thursday. Local residents said that the abduction is related to the Monday night attack on a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) road patrol unit at Maasiyappiddi allegedly by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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7 Tamils arrested over Malwatte bomb blast

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 October 2008, 19:11 GMT]
Seven Tamils were taken into custody by the police in cordon and search operations conducted following the bomb blast that took place along Malwatte Road in Fort, Colombo, police sources said. The arrested are now being detained in police stations located in Fort and Slave Island for further interrogation.
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TMVP person shot dead, one injured in Ea'raavoor

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 October 2008, 19:06 GMT]
Unidentified armed men on motorcycle opened fire Thursday around 5:45 p.m on two Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) paramilitary personnel who were riding in a motorcycle on Batticaloa-Vaazhaichcheanai main road in Ea'raavoor in the Batticaloa district, killing one and seriously wounding the other, police said.
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Sri Lankan Police arrest 2 Saiva priests, 8 civilians in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 October 2008, 19:02 GMT]
Maanippaay police, during a search conducted Tuesday in Kalvayal Murukan temple and Cheera'ni Amman temple in Valikaamam West, arrested the resident priests of the two Saiva temples, and eight civilians including the two trustees of the temples and persons who came to worship, sources in Maanipay said.
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Sri Lankan artillery barrage hits Ki'linochchi town

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 October 2008, 14:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army has started firing artillery shells towards Ki'linochchi town Thursday evening around 7:00 p.m., causing panic among the remaining civilians in the town and its suburbs. At least four artillery shells crossed over the town as TamilNet correspondent was reporting that the building of the Ki'linochchi hospital was shaken due to the blasts, causing fear among the remaining patients and the staff. A 33-year-old civilian was rushed to Ki'linochchi hospital in the evening. One shell hit the ground near UNDP office and the other near Ki'linochchi Government Agent's hostel, according to latest reports.
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SLAF attacks LTTE Peace Secretariat, Political Division HQ

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 October 2008, 08:25 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force on Thursday attacked the Head Office of the Political Section of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelalam and the LTTE Peace Secretariat, both located close to each other at the heart of the Ki'linochchi town. The attack, reported around 1:00 p.m., also caused damage to nearby houses and the roads. Two civilians were killed and five wounded in the air-strike, according to initial reports.
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Trinco High Court orders inquiry into Habeas applications

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 October 2008, 19:14 GMT]
Trincomalee High Court Judge Mr.M.Ilancheliyan has forwarded to the Trincomalee Magistrate to hold inquiry on two Habeas Corpus (HC) applications, filed by mothers of two disappeared Tamil youths in Paalathoupoor in Moothoor division in Trincomalee district on 4th April 2007, legal sources in Trincomalee said. The High Court Judge issued the directive on Monday after determining that the prima facie case had been established by the applicants.
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Norwegian politicians express concern on humanitarian access, media coverage

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 October 2008, 15:08 GMT]
Norwegian politicians and activists who addressed the participants of a Eelam Tamil diaspora organised rally and a fasting awareness campaign on Monday and Tuesday in front of the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo, criticized the expulsion of International NGOs from Vanni and urged the International Community, including the Norwegian Government, to do their maximum to enable the International humanitarian agencies to be present with civilians in need of humanitarian assistance, and to enable access to media to visit the affected areas.
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SLA shelling blocks A9

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 October 2008, 14:20 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army has been continually shelling the A9 road between Mu'rika'ndi and Kokkaavil during the recent days, shutting down the A9 road forcing the civilians to use alternative roads.
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2 civilians killed, 13 wounded in SLAF attack on Ki'linochchi suburb

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 October 2008, 06:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) attacked a civilian settlement 1 km south of Ki'linochchi town, close to A9 Road, killing two civilians and wounding 13, Wednesday around 10:30 a.m. A 2-year-old girl, a 4-year-old boy, a 16-year-old and seven other females were among the wounded rushed to nearby Ki'lnochchi hospital. 19 houses were destroyed. Some of the windows of Ki'linochchi hospital shattered and sharpnels from the bombs reached the hospital premises, according to initial reports.
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Grenade attack on TNA MP's house in Ampaa'rai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 October 2008, 05:56 GMT]
Unidentified persons lobbed a hand grenade on the house of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Ampaa'rai district parliamentarian, Chandra Nehru Chandrakanthan, on Thirukkoayil main street, Tuesday around 10:00 p.m, despite the presence of three policemen guarding the residence, the MP said. The blast had damaged only the front portion of the house and no one was injured, he said. Police said two attackers were riding in a motorbike.
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SLA cordon, search Trincomalee Orr's Hill area

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 September 2008, 17:24 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA), and Police, with the assistance of home guards, conducted cordon and search operation in the Orr's Hill area, a suburb in Trincomalee town Monday and Tuesday. The headquarters of the Sri Lanka Army Brigade for Trincomalee district is located at Plantain Point in Orr's Hills area.
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Troop shortages force SLA search delays in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 September 2008, 17:21 GMT]
With relocation of large number of troopers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to the Northern Front Defence Line (FDL) areas and outer districts, the SLA is allegedly facing difficulties in carrying out prompt cordon and search operations in Jaffna peninsula, informed sources in Jaffna said. The search operation, following the Monday attack on the SLA by the Liberation Tigers at Maasiyappiddi in Valikaamam South West division of Jaffna district , was delayed by nearly two hours, allowing the attackers sufficient time to escape, sources added.
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