News briefs from Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The incidence of Malaria is increasing in Chavakchcheri and the Jaffna Teaching Hospital has requested a 3 month supply of medicine from the Health Ministry, said health officials in Jaffna. Storage and transport difficulties causes food spoilage and private Diploma holders fail University exam.
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Conflicting claims in Vanni fighting

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Thirty five Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and 4 officers have been killed and 2 officers and 79 soldiers have been wounded in fighting between 11 and 17 June, in the forward areas of Operation Jayasikurui, said SLA Brig. Sarath Munasinghe at a weekly press briefing held in Colombo today.
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Jaffna students to compete in 'mini Olympics'

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Contrary to an earlier announcement, the Jaffna University team will participate in the inter-University Sports meet which is scheduled to be held at the Ruhuna University in the southern province later this year, said Jaffna University officials.
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New Jaffna Mayor appointed

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Mr. Sivapalan, Tamil United Liberation Front's (TULF) legal advisor has been appointed as the new mayor of Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC). Sri Lankan Commissioner of Elections confirmed his appointment yesterday.
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New Regulations for foreign investors

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
It will become mandatory for foreigners who want to invest or enter into project contracts in Sri Lanka to operate through local agents according to a Sri Lankan cabinet decision announced to the press in Colombo yesterday.
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Behind closed doors

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
On 5 June 1998, the Sri Lankan President once again imposed censorship on foreign and local media barring them from reporting 'sensitive military information'. The PA promised to introduce legal and institutional reforms to strengthen the freedom of expression when it came to power in 1994. According to ARTICLE 19, the international censorship watchdog that has studied press freedom in Sri Lanka in detail, none of these reforms have been implemented. The following report is based on their research.
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Air-strike kills 20 civilians -LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
More than 20 civilians were killed and more than 50 were critically injured when two Kfir jets belonging to the Sri Lankan Air Force carried out a massive bombing raid on the civilian habitations at 9.15 am this morning in Suthanthirapuram area of Mullaitivu district, said the Libeartion Tigers in a press release issued from International Secretariat in London this evening.
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SLA concealing casualties - MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Mr. Joseph Pararajahsingham MP (TULF), when contacted by Tamil Net's European Correspondent, said today that he believes the number of casualties sustained in the recent fighting by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) are higher than the figures announced by the Deputy Defence Minister, General Anurudha Ratwatte, in parliament today.
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57 SLA bodies returned

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The bodies of 57 Sri Lankan Army (SLA) soldiers captured by the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) in recent fighting were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) yesterday, said sources close to the LTTE in Europe today.
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Conflicting casualty claims

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Over 100 soldiers were killed and many more wounded when the Tigers counter attacked the Sri Lankan Army which tried to advance towards Kilinochchi in two directions backed by Air Force jets and artillery yesterday, said the Liberation Tigers in the Vanni today.
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Sri Lanka imposes censorship

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President imposed censorship on the local and foreign press today. The new regulations prohibit the 'publication and transmission' of 'sensitive military information'. The clamp down on the press comes in the wake of heavy fighting in the northern Vanni region where the Sri Lanka Army's (SLA) Operation 'Jeya Sikurui' is facing stiff resistance from the Liberation Tigers (LTTE).
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Heavy fighting in the Vanni

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Heavy fighting was reported in separate locations in the Vanni today. Pitched battles are said to have taken place today in the Ampakamam, Moonru Murippu and Kilinochchi regions, when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) thrusts were repulsed by the Liberation Tigers (LTTE). The Tigers also said in the Vanni today that a major SLA assault in the Kilinochchi region yesterday was repulsed with heavy casualties.
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Transport restriction in Vanni

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The army announced today that transport between the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) controlled and the LTTE controlled areas in the Vanni, through Madhu junction, 30 km west of Vavuniya on the Vavuniya-Mannar road, will not be permitted until further notice.
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Eleven Tigers killed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
An Army captain was killed and two soldiers wounded when the Liberation Tigers fired mortars on the Sri Lankan Army base at Elephant Pass base, north of Kilinochchi, last night at around 9.30 p.m., said SLA sources.
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Attempt to surround Mankulam abandoned

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
An attempt by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) to surround the strategic Mankulam junction from the northern direction is said have been temporarily abandoned, said sources today.
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SLA opens new front?

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Fighting is reported between the Liberation Tigers and the troops of Operation Jeyasikurui in the Vanni forward areas this morning, said sources. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and the LTTE continued to exchange mortar fire, said sources in Vavuniya.
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Ratwatte visits Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Deputy Defence Minister Gen. Anurudha Ratwatte visited the forward areas of Operation Jeyasikurui today and discussed the situation with the commanders.
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Burning of Jaffna Library Remembered

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
People in Jaffna will wear black ribbon today to mark the burning of the Jaffna Public Library 17 years ago, said PLOTE and EPRLF sources in Jaffna. The library, burnt to the ground on the 1st of June 1981 by Sri Lankan Police, contained the largest collection of Tamil literature in Asia, a collection that included many irreplaceable manuscripts.
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50 SLA troops killed - VoT

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 May 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Over fifty Sri Lankan Army soldiers (SLA) were killed and a large number were wounded when the Liberation Tigers counter attacked a column of SLA troops which began to advance from their positions west of Ampakamam last Thursday, the Voice of Tigers (VoT) said today.
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SLA claims early success

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 May 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Heavy fighting is reported between the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) near Ambakamam, north-east of the strategic Mankulam junction in the northern Vanni region, said sources in Vavuniya. Four SLA soldiers were killed and 22 were wounded in the latest fighting, said SLA sources.
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