General Ratwatte escapes mortar attack

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 December 1998, 16:23 GMT]
General Anurudha Ratwatte, the Deputy Minister of Defence had a narrow escape, from an LTTE mortar attack at Oddusuddan around 2.15 this afternoon. According to the Lakhande Radio's Sinhala service the LTTE's first mortar landed 15 metres from where the General stood.
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Tiger shelling wounds SLA officer

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 December 1998, 13:14 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Army (SLA) said that the Liberation Tigers fired three artillery rounds on the convoy and escort of Sri Lanka's deputy defence mininster, Gen. Anuruddha Ratwatte, and the commanders of the Sri Lankan Air Force, Navy, and Army, around 10.30 a.m., killing four soldiers and injuring forty two.
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Civilians taken to welfare centres

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 December 1998, 19:37 GMT]
Arrangements are being made to transport nearly 750 civilians, who were in the Oddusuddan area when it was captured by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) on Thursday, to the northern government held town of Vavuniya . They are currently staying in a Hindu Temple there.
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Separate department for the disabled

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 December 1998, 16:05 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunge, while addressing the 8th Annual Sports meet of the Disabled said that a separate department will be set up to look after the welfare and the needs of the disabled in the country. The sports meet was held at the Grounds of the Sports Ministry on Thursday 3 December.
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Pictures of LTTE aircraft released

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 December 1998, 11:06 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Government has published posters with photos of aircraft and a helicopter that are believed to be in the possession of the Liberation Tigers. They have also published the photographs of 15 types of aircraft that are in the possession of the Sri Lankan Air Force.
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SLA captures Oddusuddan

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 December 1998, 12:24 GMT]
Sri Lankan Government troops engaged in the Operation Jeyasikurui have captured Oddusuddan, 22 km. east of Mankulam on the Mankulam-Mullaithivu road Thursday and linked up with troops from Nedunkerni said SLA sources.
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Batticaloa council welcomes LTTE Statement

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 December 1998, 00:00 GMT]
Batticaloa Municipal Council unanimously adopted a resolution yesterday welcoming the peace offer made by the leader of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Prabakaran, said Mr. Cheliyan Perinpanayakam, Mayor of Batticaloa.
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Anura Bandaranaike urges peace talks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 December 1998, 14:18 GMT]
Mr. Anura Bandaranaike MP, the brother of the Sri Lankan President, told the government this afternoon during the committee stage debate on the appropriation bill of the foreign ministry, that it should accept the peace offer made by the leader of the Liberation Tigers. Mr.Bandaranaike is a leading parliamentary speaker of Sri Lanka's main opposition party, the UNP.
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Vadamaradchi faces isolation

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 December 1998, 11:00 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Army (SLA) stopped from yesterday the only passenger van service between Chempiyan Pattu on the southeastern coast of Jaffna and Pt.Pedro. This has cut off the only access the civilians in these area had with the outside world. The army stopped the passenger ('Thatti') van service from Chempiyan Pattu to Chavakachcheri last month.
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LTTE attack injures five policemen

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 November 1998, 22:02 GMT]
Five Sri Lankan Policemen, including an Assistant Superintendent of Police, were wounded when the Liberation Tigers fired a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) at the jeep they were travelling in, said Police sources. The attack took place at Omanthai, along the A-9 highway, about 13 km. north of Vavuniya around 6.30 p.m.
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Tamil parties welcome peace call

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 November 1998, 16:23 GMT]
All of the Tamil political parties in Colombo welcomed LTTE leader, Veluppillai Prabhaharan's, call for peace negotiations with the Sri Lankan government. The LTTE leader made this statement in his Maaveerar, (great heroes), day speech last evening. He went on to say that a negotiated solution to the conflict should occur through third party mediation.
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Tiger Air Wing participates in celebrations - VoT

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 November 1998, 05:44 GMT]
Aircrafts of the Air Tiger wing of the Liberation Tigers sprinkled flowers over the cemeteries of the slain LTTE cadres in Mulliyawalai yesterday morning, said the Voice of Tigers(VoT) in its morning broadcast today.
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LTTE leader calls for negotiations

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 November 1998, 18:12 GMT]
In his Heroes Day speech, LTTE leader, Vellupillai Pirabhakaran, said the Tigers were willing to negotiate an end the conflict in Sri Lanka. However, he said the LTTE favoured third party mediation and ruled out talks based on pre-conditions. "We have not close the doors for peace. We are open to the civilized method of resolving conflicts through rational dialogue", he said. However, he expressed doubts the Sri Lankan government would negotiate in earnest.
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Great Heroes' Day celebrations in Vanni

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 November 1998, 18:02 GMT]
Velupillai Prabakaran leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam saluted the slain heroes of the movement in the Vanni ceremony marking the Maaveerar's Day, the VoT said.
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Tigers confirm Air wing

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 November 1998, 15:55 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) radio said in its night broadcast today that aircraft of the Air Tigers sprinkled flowers on the LTTE's Heroes' memorials in the Vanni this evening during the Maaveerar day ceremonies.
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Appearance of Tiger banner alarms Armed Forces

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 November 1998, 05:07 GMT]
Alarm bells rang through the maximum security zone of Batticaloa town early this morning when it was found that the Liberation Tigers had put up a large banner commemorating their war dead during the night at Thimilathivu junction.
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Hindu priest shot dead

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 November 1998, 04:36 GMT]
The Special Task force (STF) shot dead the priest of the Aaraipattai Kaali temple last night around 10 p.m. said Police sources in Batticaloa. Aaraipattai is a large densely populated Tamil village 7 kilometers south of Batticaloa.
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Intensive search operations in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 November 1998, 12:06 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) stepped up pre-emptive search operations in the Vadamaradchi and Thenmaradchi divisions of the Jaffna peninsula amidst speculation that the Liberation Tigers might launch attacks to mark the 'Maaveerar' (Heroes) Week which culminates tomorrow.
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VoT Sinhala service begins

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 November 1998, 18:52 GMT]
The Sinhala service of the Voice of Tigers (VoT) radio, which was broadcast on 97 FM, could be picked up in the Sri Lankan government held town of Vavuniya amidst frequent electronic interruptions said sources there. The programme commenced at 7 p.m. and concluded around 7.30 p.m.
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Maveerar celebrations said underway

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 November 1998, 17:10 GMT]
Celebrations of 'Maveerar Naal' ( Heroes' Day) by the Liberation Tigers began this morning with decorations being put up and oil lamps being lit in various parts of the Vanni, according to reports reaching Vavuniya.
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