SLAF bombardment kills livestock

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 December 2008, 13:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir fighter jets bombed Friday morning a locality on Ki'linochchi Paranthan Road killing another herd of cows. SLAF fighter jets continued bombardment on Thursday and Friday while the Sri Lanka Army stepped up artillery attacks on several fronts. SLAF bombers hit 4 times a civilian settlement in Mayilvaakanapuram in Visvumadu Friday around 5:30 p.m.
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SLA artillery shells hit Ki'linochchi Hospital

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 December 2008, 12:46 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells landed within the compound of Ki'linochchi General Hospital at 7:30 p.m. on Christmas day damaging three hospital buildings and narrowly missing several hospital staff, including Medical Superintendent of Ki'linochchi, Dr Sathiyamoorthy, sources in Kilinochchi said. Glass panes of the New-born nursing section for mothers, Outpatients Department, and the Hospital Reception building were damaged in the attack, according to hospital sources.
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Colombo instructs Vanni GAs to refrain from requesting aid from UN Agencies, INGOs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 December 2008, 05:55 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Commissioner General of Essential Services, S.B. Divaratne, in a letter issued to the Government Agents of Vavuniyaa, Mullaiththeevu and Ki'linochchi last month has instructed the GAs to refrain from making any requests for food and non food assistance from INGOs and UN Agencies. "All your requirements should be processed throgh the Commissioner General of Essential Services, even in the event of any urgent necessity," the letter states. The content of the letter, which is interpreted as a threat to the Tamil GAs, is also document of evidence for how a structural genocide is being inflicted upon the Tamil people, an official serving under one of the GAs told TamilNet.
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Weapons seized, fighting continues in Ki'linochchi - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 December 2008, 14:45 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials in Vanni on Tuesday said there were one AK LMG, four Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) Launchers, one Light Anti-Tank Weapon (LAW), five T-56 assault rifles among the arms seized in the clearing mission that followed Monday's clashes in Ki'linochchi. Fighting continues in Pulikku'lam and Kugnchupparanthan on Wednesday.
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14-year-old boy killed, 5 wounded in Sri Lankan bombardment in Vanni

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 December 2008, 17:21 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) artillery shelling killed a 14-year-old boy in Vaddakkachchi on Monday around 10:30 a.m. A 32-year-old father sustained injuries in the shelling that continued. In the morning, Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) fighter jets dropped bombs near Ki'linochchi hospital around 6:20 a.m. causing panic among the patients and the staff at the hospital. A mother of 4 children, a male and a 13-year-old boy were wounded in the bombardment. Shrapnels hit the hospital building causing damage. A 56-year-old female was wounded in Vattaappazhai in Mullaiththeevu district. At least 17 houses have sustained damage in the Sri Lankan bombardment on Monday.
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100 SLA killed, 250 wounded, heavy fighting in Ki'linochchi - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 December 2008, 14:28 GMT]
More than 100 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and at least 250 SLA soldiers wounded Monday when the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) repulsed a fresh offensive push, said S. Puleedevan, the director of LTTE's Peace Secretariat, quoting LTTE's field commanders. Heavy fighting raged from 5:30 to 12:45 when the SLA attempted to advance from Uruththirapuram towards Ki'linochchi and Ira'naimadu. Several corpses of the SLA soldiers were seen in the battlefield and the Tigers were engaged in seizing arms and ammunitions after routing the offensive on two fronts, Mr. Puleedevan further said. The fighting was continuing on three fronts.
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Fresh SLA recruit becomes Prisoner of War

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 December 2008, 21:12 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier, taken captive by the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) in Ki'laali on 09 December, has revealed that he was attached to Sinha Regiment and sent to the forefront of the offensive immediately after completing his military training at Diyathalawa Army Training Centre on 25 November. The Prisoner of War (PoW), who was allowed to talk to media on Saturday while he was admitted at Ki'linochchi hospital, said he had studied up to 7th standard and joined the SLA considering the economic benefits, but did not expect that he would be sent to the battle front immediately.
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SLA steps up attacks on hospitals in Vanni, disregards Geneva Conventions

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 December 2008, 18:37 GMT]
Mullaiththeevu Government Hospital has come under artillery fire by the Sri Lanka Army despite the Sri Lankan military and civil authorities being repeatedly urged by the medical authorities at the hospital not to fire shells on the civilian medical facility. The government hospital was attacked Monday, Friday and Saturday. Two patients sustained injuries last Monday and two medical staff were wounded in the artillery attack on Friday. The building sustained damage in the bombardment Friday when 5 shells hit the premises. The quarters of the Medical Superintend has also sustained damage for the second time.
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Floods displace thousands in Vanni again

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 December 2008, 18:30 GMT]
More than hundred thousand were displaced due to floods in Mullaiththeevu and Ki'linochchi districts earlier this week, the Government Agent for Ki'ilnochchi district, Imelda Sukumar, told media Saturday. Meanwhile medical sources in Vanni said one civilian was killed by the floods. Students who sat for GCE O/L exams have been disturbed due to the floods, air attacks and artillery shelling by the SLA.
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2 civilians killed in SLA shelling in Vaddakkachchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 December 2008, 17:21 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired shells killed 2 civilians in Vaddakkachchi in Ki'linochchi Saturday around 3:00 p.m., medical sources in Tharmapuram hospital said. One dead body was brought to Tharmapuram hospital.
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Tigers recover 12 SLA bodies after preemptive strike, 60 killed, 150 wounded

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 December 2008, 16:03 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) counter-offensive units carried out a preemptive strike on Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensive formation in Mu'rika'ndi - Ira'naimadu area Saturday, killing at least 60 SLA soldiers, LTTE officials told TamilNet. The SLA was pushed back 2 km, and the Tigers said they have recovered 12 dead bodies of SLA soldiers so far in the clearing mission, according to latest update from the LTTE officials in Ki'linochchi. More than 150 SLA soldiers were wounded in the counter operation, Tiger officials told TamilNet.
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Colombo steps up bombardment on Vanni, 3 wounded

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 December 2008, 05:49 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers attacked Saturday a coastal area in Mullaiththeevu where thousands of civilians, recently displaced, had established temporary shelters. The bombers dropped eight bombs on fishing huts and boats, lighting up the stretch using para lights, causing panic among the refugees and the fishermen engaged in fishing at 4:55 a.m. The bombers arrived again at 5:35 to bomb the area with 8 eight more bombs, targeting the temporary shelters of refugees. The SLAF bombers attacked Mullaiththeevu and Ki'linochchi five times within four hours in the morning. Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched an artillery barrage from all the frontiers of Vanni from 4:20 a.m. till 5:50 a.m.
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Sri Lanka attacks hospital, settlements in Vanni, children among victims

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 December 2008, 15:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers attacked civilian settlements in Mu'l'livaaykkaal village Friday morning and in the noon causing injuries to 11 civilians, including 6 children, according to medical sources in Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital. A 13-year-old girl was seriously injured. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has also fired artillery shells on Mullaiththeevu General Hospital injuring two members of the medical staff and caused extensive damage to the complex including the operation theatre.
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Visit of 'strategic partners'

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 December 2008, 12:19 GMT]
The Defense Advisers/Attaches of seven countries, USA, UK, Japan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Maldives were taken on a one day tour to Vanni by the Colombo government on Monday. Suffering from heavy military debacles and facing serious economic crisis, the Colombo government is badly in need of parading strategic partners and abettors to attract means and justification for its genocidal war before time runs out, note political observers. The visitors represented three of the Co-Chair countries, USA, UK and Japan and four South Asian countries having maritime boundaries.
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SLAF bombs refugee settlements: 2 killed, 13 wounded, 4 child victims

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 December 2008, 02:30 GMT]
A 5-month-old child and a 25-year-old male were killed and 13 other refugees including three children were wounded Wednesday when Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) fighter jets bombed refugee settlements in Vaddakkachchi four times, on each sorties bombing the refugees twice. The SLAF bombardment on civilian targets comes in the wake of high casualties to the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in its latest offensive push in Ki'linochchi and Jaffna frontiers. The second attack was reported 250 meters near the hospital in Vaddakkachchi. Civilians in Vanni interpreted the indiscriminate attacks, which were repeatedly carried out on displaced peoples settlements, as 'collective punishment' by the Sri Lankan forces that have suffered heavy casualties in the battlefront.
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SLA death toll hits 170 in Vanni, hundreds wounded, 36 bodies recovered - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 December 2008, 02:08 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials on Wednesday said that 130 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed in the multi-front offensive push by the SLA in Ki'linochchi on Tuesday. More than 300 soldiers were wounded in the heavy battle that raged throughout the day till 4:00 p.m. on five main localities and along a wide stretch of the frontiers in Ki'linochchi. Meanwhile, in Ki'laali, 40 SLA soldiers were killed and more than 120 sustained injuries. 36 dead bodies of the SLA soldiers have been recovered so far, 28 in Ki'linochchi and 8 in Ki'liaali, in the clearing missions following Tuesday's fighting. There are young recruits of the SLA, including child soldiers, engaged in the front by the SLA in Ki'linochchi.
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SLA suffers third debacle in Ki'linochchi, 100 killed, 250 wounded - Puleedevan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 December 2008, 16:51 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) on Tuesday repulsed a major push by the Sri Lanka Army, killing at least 100 SLA soldiers and causing injuries to more than 250, said S. Puleedevan, the director of LTTE's Peace Secretariat, quoting Tiger commanders who were in charge of the Tiger defensive fronts in Ki'linochchi district. "According to the emerging details, a multi-front push towards Ki'linochchi from Malayaa'lapuram, Kugnchupparanthan, Mu'rika'ndi and Pulikku'lam, was repulsed by the LTTE defensive formations that have seized weapons and recovered at least 10 corpses of the Sri Lanka Army," Mr. Puleedevan told TamilNet citing the military officials of the LTTE.
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Kompan Chaayntha Ku'lam

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 December 2008, 06:42 GMT]
The tank where a tusker fell dead
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Jaffna Bishop meets IDPs in Vanni

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 December 2008, 06:39 GMT]
Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam, Bishop of Jaffna, was on a mission visit to Vanni 9 December where he met thousands of people displaced due to war offensives and floods sharing their grief and offering consolation to them, in various places in Vanni, according to Jaffna Bishop’s secretary. The Bishop stayed in Vanni meeting the IDPs in their temporary refugee camps and returned to Colombo Saturday.
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3 civilians, including child, killed in SLA shelling in Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 December 2008, 13:02 GMT]
A 5-month-old child, sleeping inside an IDP hut near Thakarap-Pi'l'laiyaar temple on Hudson Road in Vaddakkachchi, was decapitated by a shrapnel of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shell Saturday morning around 9:30. 26-year-old mother of the child was wounded in the artillery barrage that targeted the IDP settlement. Meanwhile, two males who went to their agricultural lands in Kanakapuram, a suburb of Ki'linochchi town, to unearth cassava roots, were killed in SLA shelling around 11:45 a.m. A 17-year-old youth narrowly escaped death with injuries from the shelling.
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