UNESCO expresses concern

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 August 1998, 13:00 GMT]
UNESCO expressed its concern over reports that food distribution to Vanni by the Sri Lankan government (SLG) has been deliberately reduced. The organisation also urged the SLG to provide unhindered humanitarian assistance to the people of Vanni.
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Mannar policemen shot

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 August 1998, 12:12 GMT]
Two policemen were shot at by a suspected member of the LTTE. in Mannar town at 4:30pm on Wednesday August 19, said sources. The constables were at a tailoring shop when their attacker approached, shot them with a pistol and made his good escape they said.
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Displaced' roofing held up

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 August 1998, 10:07 GMT]
Fifteen thousand, one hundred and fifty (15,150) roofing sheets earmarked for the camps of the displaced persons in Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held areas, are lying at the Vavuniya District Secretary's office for the past three months awaiting clearance for transport by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), said sources in Trincomalee.
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British High Commissioner visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 August 1998, 09:57 GMT]
The Mayor and the Members of the Jaffna Municipal Council (MMCs) requested the British High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, David Tatham, to persuade the British Government to intervene to resolve Sri Lanka's ethnic problem, said sources in Jaffna.
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Food is 'weapon of war' - UNP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 August 1998, 22:58 GMT]
Ranil Wickramasinghe, Leader of the Sri Lankan Parliamentary Opposition and the United National Party (UNP) said that the Sri Lanka Government (SLG) was using food as weapon on civilians living in areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), according to Parliamentary sources.
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Tigers shell Batticaloa SLA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 August 1998, 22:54 GMT]
Accurate artillery shelling by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) hit the Sri Lankan Army's 233 Brigade Headquarters at Batticaloa and the Batticaloa airbase at around 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, said informed sources in Europe when contacted by TamilNet tonight.
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SLA withdraws from Kokkadicholai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 August 1998, 22:51 GMT]
The joint Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Special Task Force (STF) and police operation at Kokkadicholai, 20 km southwest of Batticaloa, in an Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held area, came to a halt at around 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday said informed sources in Europe when contacted by TamilNet.
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Fighting reported at Kokkadicholai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 August 1998, 23:32 GMT]
Twelve Sri Lankan Army (SLA) soldiers and two civilians have been admitted with injuries to the Batticaloa hospital by 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) engaged the SLA at Kokkadicholai, 20 km southwest of Batticaloa, for the first time since "Eelam War III" began, said informed sources in Europe when contacted by TamilNet on Wednesday evening.
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Military operation in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 August 1998, 10:51 GMT]
A joint operation by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Special Task Force (STF), police and Tamil para-military groups to advance into areas held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) west of Batticaloa town began in the early hours on Wednesday, said informed sources in Europe when contacted by TamilNet. No fighting has been reported as yet, they added.
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Two casualties in Batticaloa clash

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 August 1998, 23:12 GMT]
Two soldiers were killed when a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) patrol clashed with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at Sittandy, 20 km north of Batticaloa, around 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, said sources in Batticaloa.
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Jaffna traders urge SLG to compensate losses

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 August 1998, 10:36 GMT]
Around 600 persons, including 450 traders, staged a token fast in front of the Jaffna Kachcheri, in Jaffna town, on Monday from 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. protesting against the Sri Lanka Government (SLG) for bombing the cargo vessel Princess Kash on Friday, and demanding that the SLG pay compensation for the loss, said sources in Jaffna.
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Aggressive search operation in Vakarai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 August 1998, 10:29 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) rattled doors, smashed window panes and broke electric light bulbs fixed outside houses to terrorise the public at Vakarai, 32 km north of Batticaloa, during a cordon and search operation on Friday night between 11:30 p.m. and 1:00 a.m., said sources in Valaichenai.
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Five soldiers injured in explosion

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 August 1998, 10:11 GMT]
Five Sri Lanka Army (SLA) personnel were injured when the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) detonated a landmine at Sirrupitty, in Neerveli, 15-km northeast of Jaffna at 12:20 p.m. on Friday, said sources in Jaffna.
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Investigation into Airforce bombing

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 August 1998, 21:47 GMT]
At a press conference held in the Ambebussa Sinha Regiment military camp, the secretary of defence Mr. Anurutha Ratwatte said that an investigation was being launched into the controversy surrounding the ship, "Princess Kash".
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Counterclaims over 'Princess Kash' bombing

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 August 1998, 12:14 GMT]
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has secured the consent of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the handover of the 17 Indian nationals on board the cargo vessel Princess Kash, reported Radio Sri Lanka (RSL) in its evening news broadcast yesterday.
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Five soldiers injured in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 August 1998, 07:17 GMT]
Five Sri Lanka Army (SLA) personnel were injured when the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) detonated a landmine at Sirrupitty, in Neerveli, 15 km northeast of Jaffna at 12:20 p.m. on Friday, said sources in Jaffna.
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Official vehicle hijacked

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 August 1998, 03:18 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) hijacked the official vehicle of the Divisional Secretary (DS) of Kaluwanchikudy, at Kaluthavalai, 15 km south of Batticaloa, on Thursday around 8:45 a.m. and transported it across the lagoon in a makeshift ferry made by fastening two rafts, said Sri Lankan police.
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Heavy fighting near Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 August 1998, 23:56 GMT]
Heavy fighting is reported to have taken place near Kilinochchi in the northern Vanni region. Forty Sri Lankan Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and many were wounded when their column was encircled and ambushed there, said the Liberation Tigers, in a statement issued Thursday from their London offices. The bodies of 10 SLA troops have been recovered said the LTTE.
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Akkaraipattu security tightened

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 August 1998, 16:44 GMT]
The Special Task Force (STF) has taken special measures in the area around Akkaraipattu, 55 km south of Batticaloa, to stop reported Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) infiltration into the area, said sources.
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Concern for tortured detainee - Amnesty

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 August 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Amnesty International, the London based human right watchdog said that "there are serious concerns" for Thambirajah Kamalathasan, a Tamil man from Chunnakam, Jaffna, who was subjected to torture for several days following his arrest by police on 15 July 1998 in the capital, Colombo.
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