“Human shields” at Madhu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 November 1999, 13:14 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Sunday denied Sri Lanka Army (SLA) accusations that they had killed scores of Tamil civilians by shelling the revered Catholic shrine at Madhu. The LTTE said SLA troops had shelled the church and used refugees sheltering there as human shields. The Tigers called on international NGOs to prevail upon the Sri Lankan military and halt this practice.
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Wounded Madhu refugees allege SLA fired

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 November 1999, 10:44 GMT]
Wounded refugees who were brought to the Vavuniya hospital speaking on condition of anonymity said this morning that an armoured column of the SLA, retreating from a fierce counter attack by the Liberation Tigers had opened fire on the Madhu shrine where they had been huddled together last night around 10 p.m. killing and wounding scores.
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Fighting near Mannar town

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 November 1999, 09:18 GMT]
Heavy fighting erupted in the coast of Mannar town between units of the Sea Tigers and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) around 12.10 this noon. Black smoke was seen in the Pallimunai sea said residents.
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37 killed at Madhu church

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 November 1999, 09:14 GMT]
Thirty seven civilians were killed and sixty four wounded when shells hit Madhu church amidst fighting between Sri Lankan Army units that had taken up positions in the environs of the Madhu shrine and the Liberation Tigers.
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Tigers push south in Mannar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 1999, 09:06 GMT]
A special broadcast of the Voice of Tigers (VOT) said this afternoon that Liberation Tigers captured Paappamoddai north of Mannar and are advancing south towards Thiruketheesawaram. About hundred villages in the region have come under control during the offensive the radio said.
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Armoured units spearheading advance - VOT

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 1999, 04:18 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VOT) said in its news broadcast this morning that the special forces of the Liberation Tigers continued their advance towards Mannar and Vavuniya. The radio said that the armoured and artillery units of the LTTE's special forces are spearheading the advance.
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Patients moved across front line

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 November 1999, 16:22 GMT]
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today escorted four seriously ill patients by fishing boat from the Vanni region held by the Liberation Tigers, via Anthoniyarpuram to Mannar held by the Sri Lanka Army, ICRC spokesman Harasha Gunawardene said.
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SLA pulls FDLs back

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 November 1999, 11:51 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is establishing new forward defence lines (FDL) at Madhu road junction on the Vavuniya Mannar road after the Liberation Tigers took control of large areas in the northwestern district of Mannar yesterday.
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Hundreds of casualties in Mannar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 1999, 19:23 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) suffered hundreds of casualties when the Liberation Tigers captured several SLA camps on the strategic land route between Vavuniya town and Vidathaltivu on the western coast, the LTTE said in a press release today. The Tigers lost 10 fighters, the statement said.
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Madhu said captured

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 1999, 14:06 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers captured Madhu town in the Mannar district this afternoon according to sources in Vavuniya town today. The Liberation Tigers however did not say they had taken control of Madhu in a state released earlier today, but said the Catholic pilgrimage town was surrounded.
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Tigers resume offensive

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 1999, 12:36 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said in a press release today their forces had overrun the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) base at Palampitty and Peria Madu as the LTTE resumed their offensive in the Mannar district.
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Case against torture victim withdrawn

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 1999, 11:36 GMT]
The Eastern High Court on Wednesday acquitted an accused in a case in which he was charged under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) when the State Counsel withdrew the indictments.
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Tigers capture Periyamadhu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 1999, 10:45 GMT]
In a fierce offensive thrust the fighting units of the Liberation Tigers have captured today Periyamadhu in the Mannar district said LTTE sources in London.
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Tigers capture Paalampiddy

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 1999, 10:05 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers have captured Paalampiddy, an interior village about 45 km. northwest of Vavuniya in a predawn attack today said LTTE sources in London.
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Refugees prevented from leaving Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 November 1999, 16:04 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army in Vavuniya is preventing Tamil civilians living in refugee camps close to SLA camps from leaving the northern town, said the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) in a report submitted to the Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunge today. In addition no food supplies have been distributed to the displaced since they left, or allowed into the Vanni since November 1, the report said.
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SLAF base shelled

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 November 1999, 15:43 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers fired mortar shells at the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) base in Batticaloa this evening around 4.45, sources said. The LTTE launched this attack from Paduvankarai area, which is under their control.
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SLA blocks civilians' dry rations

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 November 1999, 11:24 GMT]
The Sri Lankan military authorities have told the government officials in Vavuniya not to provide dry rations to thousand of civilians moved from the town last week, Kachcheri sources said.
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Culvert blasted

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 November 1999, 13:33 GMT]
Unidentified men blasted a culvert on the Uppodai road in Vantharumoolai, about 20 km. north of Batticaloa last night around 7.30 p.m. yesterday evening said sources.
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President says mediation tried

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 November 1999, 08:49 GMT]
The Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunge said in a question and answer session on local television Saturday that her government was not opposed to peace talks with mediation. She was responding to a question why the government had not accepted an offer of mediation from Norway.
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Aid workers protest SLA pressure

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 November 1999, 19:58 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Vavuniya is pressuring civilians to return to the northern garrison town, said aid workers in Colombo today. The new SLA town commander has been applying severe pressure on aid agencies to support the SLA’s efforts, the aid workers said.
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