1200 Tamils languishing under custody in Western Province - SL Minister

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 September 2008, 14:35 GMT]
Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF) parliamentarian and a deputy minister in Mahinda Rajapaksa's government, P. Rathakrishnan, has compiled a report with details of around 1,200 Tamil youths of both sexes, languishing in the detention centres and prisons in South after being arrested in Colombo and its suburbs recently. Mr. Rathakrishnan has told media that he would demand the advisory committee of the Sri Lankan Defence Ministry to expedite the inquiries against the detainees and the police to ensure that innocent Tamil civilians are not harmed when enforcing 'law and order.'
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4 STF killed, arms seized in Ampaa'rai - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 September 2008, 13:04 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam officials in Ampaa'rai on Tuesday claimed four Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) soldiers were killed and two wounded at Sannasi malaiyadi near Ukanthai, bordering Ampaa'rai and Hambantota districts, Tuesday around 12:30 in a Tiger guerrilla ambush. A Colt Commando rifle and a T-56 assault rifle with ammunitions were seized by the Tigers, they said. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan police said one STF sergeant and a home-guard were killed at a police point at 10th mile post in Paa'nama area.
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STF commando killed, 5 injured in Ampaa’rai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 September 2008, 12:37 GMT]
One Special Task Force (STF) commando was killed and three injured Monday morning, caught in the booby traps of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in Kanchkudichchaa’ru jungles in Ampaa'rai district when a team of STF commandos were engaged in military operations while two of them were injured in the same manner Monday evening, sources in Ampaa’rai said.
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Fighting intensifies at Vannearikku'lam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 September 2008, 10:27 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) fighters were engaged in heavy clashes with the Sri Lanka Army units that advanced targeting Vannearikku'lam since Tuesday morning around 5:10, according to LTTE officials in Vanni. The SLA has suffered heavy casualties, leaving behind weapons and ammunitions. The fighting still continues, the Tigers said.
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Jaffna youth abducted in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 September 2008, 10:24 GMT]
Unidentified armed persons arrived in a white van and abducted a Tamil youth Monday night from a lodge in Vavuniyaa town, administrators of the lodge said. The victim has been identified as 28 year-old Sathiyaseelan of Jaffna, according to complaints lodged with the Vavuniyaa Police by lodge officials.
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Paramilitary campaigner shot dead in Ampaa’rai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 September 2008, 05:12 GMT]
Two unidentified gunmen on motorcycle shot and killed Monday around 8:50 p.m a 40-year-old campaigner of the TMVP paramilitary-cum-political party in front of Thirukkoayil hospital in Ampaa’rai district. The TMVP instructed Tamil shop owners to close down their shops and imposed a shut-down in Chammanthu'rai, Akkaraippattu, Thirukkoayil and kalmunai areas.
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LTTE confronts SLA, recovers 7 bodies

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 September 2008, 05:12 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials on Tuesday said their fighting formations confronted the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) that attempted to advance towards Naachchikkudaa, a fishing port in the Kariyaalai-Naakapaduvaan division of Ki'linochchi district, from Muzhangkaavil since Monday noon. Claiming that the SLA advancement was thwarted, the Tigers said they have located at least 7 bodies of SLA soldiers who were killed in action.
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TID arrests Upcountry Tamil youth after police training

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 September 2008, 15:52 GMT]
An upcountry Tamil youth was arrested by a team of the Colombo Prevention of Terrorism Unit on August 26 after one month training in the Kalutara Police Training School.
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Tamil civilian released after 14 months' detention

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 September 2008, 15:40 GMT]
Jaffna born Tharmalingam Pushparajah, a resident of Negombo in the western province for several years was released by the Colombo Magistrate Court Friday after 14 months' detention in Welikada prison under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) without any evidence to implicate him with any 'terrorist activity', legal sources in Colombo said.
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PHI Union urges action to locate missing official in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 September 2008, 08:15 GMT]
Public Health Inspectors' Union of Sri Lanka appealed to Jaffna District Director of Public Health Service to take action to find Thevasenathipathy Sukanthan, a Public Health Inspector (PHI) reported missing since 24 August after being allowed to enter Punnaalai Varatharaja Perumaa'l temple by Sri Lankan forces, to attend the annual temple festival, according to media report released by PHIU. Meanwhile, Jaffna SLA Commander Major Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri in a report to local media said that there is evidence for the exit of the missing persons from the temple on 24 August.
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30 Tamils interrogated over Colombo bomb blast

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 August 2008, 15:59 GMT]
About 30 Tamil civilians were taken in for questioning by the Sri Lankan police following the bomb blast in Pettah, Colombo, Saturday afternoon. Around 45 civilians were injured in the blast.
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Tamil family man abducted in Vaazhaichcheani

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 August 2008, 15:51 GMT]
Armed persons abducted a 32-year-old man from his residence at Ka'n'nakipuram in Vaazhaichcheanai police division Saturday around 2:30 p.m., according to complaints lodged with the police by the victim's family members. The victim, Kanapathipillai Vasanthakumar, a father of two, had returned to his village 45 days ago after his employment in a Middle East country, police said.
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NGO vehicle narrowly escapes DPU Claymore attack in Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 18:53 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit soldiers triggered a Claymore mine Friday evening around 7:00 p.m. on a convoy of FORUT, a Norwegian NGO, at Kanakaraayanku'lam, a few minutes after the convoy has passed the entry point to Vanni, Tamileelam Police officials told TamilNet Saturday. Tamileelam police officials charged that the SLA has stepped up Claymore attacks on civilian vehicles in Vanni in a bid to terrorise the people of Vanni. The NGOs and the UN agencies have become under pressure from the Sri Lankan government, which is pressurising a move to force people to vacate LTTE administered areas.
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20 SLA killed, 32 wounded, 3 bodies recovered in Thu'nukkaay - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 16:34 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) confronted Sri Lanka Army (SLA) that attempted to advance towards Aalangku'lam in Thu'nukkaay division of Mullaiththeevu district from 9:40 a.m. till 4:00 p.m. Saturday. LTTE fighters have seized 7 T-56 automatic rifles and recovered 3 dead bodies of SLA soldiers after heavy fighting. The Tigers claimed that at least 20 SLA soldiers were killed and more than 32 wounded in the clashes. Heavy fighting ensued also in Vannearikku'lam where the SLA sustained casualties.
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STF, police torture, forcibly drown Tamil youth in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 02:28 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF) commandos and policemen forcibly drowned Friday around 6:50 a.m in Urukaamam Punnaiku’lam lake in Velaave’li police division in Batticaloa district, a Tamil youth arrested by STF commandos five days ago after having tortured him, residents in Urukaamam alleged. STF claimed that the youth was a member of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and that they had recovered a pistol and a hand grenade from him, the sources added.
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SLA denies permission for paddy cultivation in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 06:55 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna denied permission for the Maha Season paddy cultivation in areas adjoining its High Security Zone (HSZ) in Ma'ravanpulavu, Thanangki'lappu and Koayilaakka'ndi in Thenmaraadchi, depriving thousands of Internally Displaced families of their sole livelihood, farmers representatives in Jaffna said. The farmers have repeatedly requested Jaffna Government Agent to allow them to cultivate their paddy fields.
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DPU attack kills 2 civilians in Vanni

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 03:49 GMT]
A 15-year-old boy and a 33-year-old vegetable trader were killed on the spot at Olumadu Thursday evening when a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit triggered four Claymore mines targeting the grocery traders who were riding in a motorbike towards Nedungkea'ni in Mullaiththeevu district, Tamileelam Police said. The attack came a few hours before the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) dropped leaflets instructing the people of Vanni to move out of the LTTE controlled areas to Vavuniyaa.
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Jury discharged in Sivaram murder case, trial put off

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 August 2008, 14:19 GMT]
Colombo High Court Judge A.T.Ratnaike Wednesday discharged the Sinhalese speaking Jury in the murder case of popular military analyst and TamilNet editorial board member Dharmeratnam Sivaram (Taraki) following the submission by the prosecution that whereabouts of one of the key prosecution witnesses was not known, legal sources said.
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Airstrike targeted SLN Eastern HQ - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 19:52 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) on Wednesday claimed that the Air Tigers carried out a successful air strike on the Eastern Headquarters of the Sri Lanka Navy located in the inner harbour of Trincomalee Tuesday at 9:15 p.m. At least 4 SLN sailors were killed and more than 35 wounded in the air strike, which inflicted heavy damage on the SLN base, the Tigers claimed.
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SLA Claymore attack kills refugee in Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 12:09 GMT]
A civilian was killed and three wounded when a group of Internally Displaced Persons, who were riding in a tractor in Thu'nukkaay, were attacked by the Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit Wednesday morning around 10:00, according to Tamileelam Police.
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