Civilians visit captured town

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRC) sources said this evening that the Liberation Tigers had allowed civilians to visit some parts of the Kilinochchi town which had come under their control. Some of them (the civilians) had gone there to assist the LTTE remove some military hardware they said.
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Assaults over Lion flags

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two auto-rickshaw (three wheel taxi) drivers were assaulted by the police this morning in Batticaloa town, for not flying the Sri Lankan national flag on their vehicle. The Sri Lanka Government has ordered all Government buildings and private citizens in the country to display the national flag tomorrow as a mark of patriotism. Tomorrow is Sri Lanka's fiftieth independence anniversary.
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Independence celebrations overshadowed by conflict

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Events in other parts of Sri Lanka have rendered the golden jubilee of national independence, and its celebration tomorrow in Kotte, the country's administrative capital, almost a non-event.
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Tigers say fighting continues

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) broad cast this morning gave the names of six more Tigers who were killed in the fighting in Kilinochchi. The Radio quoted the Eelanatham daily which is published in the Vanni saying that the fighting has been going on for more than 24 hours.
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Doubts over SLA claims

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Tamil Eelam Radio, the commercial broadcast of the Voice of Tigers, said in its evening broadcast today that the fighting in the Paranthan Kilinochchi area continues to rage for the second day. Hence, no clear details of the battle are available as yet it said. The Radio said that the SLAF is continuing with retaliatory strikes against civilian targets in the Vanni today.
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Kilinochchi military complex overrun - Radio

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The LTTE has overrun the defences and destroyed the camps and minicamps of the Kilinochchi military base complex, said the Voice of Tigers (VoT) in its night broadcast today.
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MoD blocks UNHCR office

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Moves by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to build a new office, 4 km east of Mallavi, are being stalled by officials in the Ministry of Defence (MoD), said UNHCR sources in Vavuniya. The MoD is delaying approval for building materials to be transported to Mallavi for construction work to begin.
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LTTE says Kilinochchi assault continues

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VOT) said in their night broadcast today that the attack on Kilinochchi continues. The Tigers, according to the VOT, had launched a heavy artillery barrage on the Kilinochchi-Paranthan base.
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New publications in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two Tamil weeklies will begin publishing from Jaffna from next month said sources in Jaffna today. One is expected to be named 'Sooriyakanthi' and the other 'Kaalaikathir'.
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Malaria compounded by drug shortage

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A three year old girl, Saranya Ravi, died today at Jaffna hospital of malaria, due to the lack of drugs. She was first admitted to Chavakachcheri hospital three days ago with a high fever, and then she was from there to Jaffna.
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Army bans civilians from leaving Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The government decided to completely ban civilians from the LTTE controlled parts of the Vanni unless for very special reasons according to new strict regulations which came into affect from today. No civilians from the LTTE controlled parts of the Vanni will henceforth be permitted to enter Vavuniya.
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Confusion over LTTE ban mechanism

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Confusion continues as to the exact legal means by which the government proscribed the Liberation Tigers. The Attorney General's Department, the secretary of defence and the ministry of justice denied any knowledge of the procedure adopted in banning the LTTE.
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Truck bomb at planned celebration venue

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Sri Lankan Police say that a truck with bomb was rammed into Daladamaligava, planned location of Sri Lankas independence day celebrations in Kandy, this morning at 6 am. The Police say 8 people including the two bombers were killed.
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SLA claims 4 Tigers killed

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The SLA claimed today that it killed 4 Liberation Tigers, including two women members, who had infiltrated its defence at Nedunkerni around 2.30 p.m.
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SLAF says LTTE boats destroyed

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan airforce claimed today that its Kfir bombers had blown up five water jets belonging to the Liberation Tigers in the Mullaithivu lagoon around noon yesterday.
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Gala independence celebration planned in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan army is making preparations to celebrate the golden jubilee of Sri Lanka's independence from British rule in Jaffna town on February 4.
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Vanni returnee shot dead

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The SLA claimed today that they shot dead a LTTE suspect and arrested another near Perumal Kovil (temple), in Jaffna, last night between 10.30 and 11.00 p.m. But sources in Jaffna said that the dead person has been identified as Velupillai Pavananthan, 27, father of 3 children.
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LTTE marks Kittu's anniversary

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers are commemorating the fifth death anniversary of Sathasivam Krishnakumar (Kittu) who was their Jaffna commander in 1985-87 in the Paduvankarai region in Batticaloa today.
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Tigers still said holding Kanakarayan Kulam

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Troops of Operation Jayasikurui ('Victory Assured' in Sinhalese) contrary to Sri Lanka Government (SLG) claim last week that Kanakarayan Kulam had come under the military's control, are still two kilometers from the strategic town on the A-9 and have to cross Kanakarayan Aaru (river), to reach their goal, said sources in Vavuniya today.
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Detainees face more severe conditions

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Conditions for detainees arrested under the Emergency Regulations and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) have been made more severe by stringent new restrictions on prison visits introduced by the Sri Lanka Government, said Tamil legal sources today.
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