SLA soldiers search Point Pedro SLTB depot

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 October 2008, 13:40 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna which has been engaged in intensive searches in most of the Saiva temples in Jaffna peninsula and their surroundings from Tuesday, extended the search to Point Pedro Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) Thursday, which lasted for nearly two and a half hours. No one was arrested or any objects were recovered during the search, employees of the depot said. The searches follow the attack on SLA soldiers Monday night at Maasiyappiddi in Valikaamam.
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Tortured Tamil given asylum in U.S. after 7 years in detention

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 October 2008, 12:26 GMT]
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California announced Wednesday an immigration victory for Ahilan Nadarajah, an ethnic Tamil farmer who, after being tortured in his native Sri Lanka, sought asylum in the United States. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in the U.S. held him for nearly seven years, first in immigration jail and later under electronic monitoring because of secret, fake evidence accusing him of being a 'terrorist'.
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Grenade attack on TNA MP's house in Ampaa'rai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 October 2008, 05:56 GMT]
Unidentified persons lobbed a hand grenade on the house of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Ampaa'rai district parliamentarian, Chandra Nehru Chandrakanthan, on Thirukkoayil main street, Tuesday around 10:00 p.m, despite the presence of three policemen guarding the residence, the MP said. The blast had damaged only the front portion of the house and no one was injured, he said. Police said two attackers were riding in a motorbike.
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Troop shortages force SLA search delays in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 September 2008, 17:21 GMT]
With relocation of large number of troopers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to the Northern Front Defence Line (FDL) areas and outer districts, the SLA is allegedly facing difficulties in carrying out prompt cordon and search operations in Jaffna peninsula, informed sources in Jaffna said. The search operation, following the Monday attack on the SLA by the Liberation Tigers at Maasiyappiddi in Valikaamam South West division of Jaffna district , was delayed by nearly two hours, allowing the attackers sufficient time to escape, sources added.
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Ambush on SLA in Jaffna, unofficial curfew imposed in Valikaamam South West

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 September 2008, 09:42 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Police imposed an immediate unofficial curfew in Cha'ndilippaay, A'laveddi and Chu'n'naakam areas and launched a cordon and search operation, after a bomb attack Monday noon on the SLA at Maasiyappiddi in Valikaamam South West division of the Jaffna district.
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SLA soldier killed in clash in Yala

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 September 2008, 10:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soures in Colombo on Saturday said an soldier was killed in a clash with the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Saturday evening at Sector 3 of Yala bordering the Hambantota district.
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1 killed, 9 wounded in bomb explosion in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 September 2008, 01:23 GMT]
A civilian was killed, 4 police personnel, 3 Sri Lanka Army soldiers and two civilians were wounded in a bomb explosion near Vavuniyaa bus stand around 3:20 p.m. Sunday, Police said.
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Tiger artillery fire kills SLA soldier in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 September 2008, 16:35 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) launched artillery shells Friday around 10:00 a.m.,across Jaffna lagoon, targeted Sri Lanka Army (SLA) coastal posts in Kurunakar, Paasaiyoor and Ariyaalai East, killing an SLA soldier and seriously injuring two, sources in Jaffna said. Heavy artillery exchange followed between the SLA and LTTE which lasted nearly for an hour. Meanwhile, a Kurunakar fisherman was injured when one of the shells fell and exploded in Jaffna lagoon.
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Jaffna Prison overcrowded with humanitarian protection seekers

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 September 2008, 16:22 GMT]
Prison in Jaffna, temporarily housed in a private building that can accommodate only one hundred, has become crammed with more than three hundred inmates, who have sought humanitarian protection from the Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission in Jaffna. Many of them have been languishing in the prison for more than two years. Meanwhile, two youths sought protection custody on Thursday as persons appearing for interrogation at SLA camps in Thenmaraadchi and other areas in Jaffna peninsula had been killed by unidentified gunmen while returning home after interrogation in the recent past.
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Family man reported missing in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 September 2008, 04:17 GMT]
A young family man from Chaddanaathar Veethi area within the Jaffna Municipality limits has been reported missing since 4 July, according to a complaint lodged by his wife with Human Rights Commission (HRC) in Jaffna. The disappearance has taken place a day after the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers took away photos of her husband from their house, she said in the complaint.
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2 SLA killed in ambush in Trincomalee - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 September 2008, 06:38 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials in the East claimed Wednesday that a Tiger guerrilla unit ambushed Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers at Battaragaram in Thimilakadawa, a remote Sinhala area in Trincomalee district Tuesday morning around 7:00 a.m., killing 2 SLA soldiers.
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Eezham Thamizh and Tamil Eelam: Understanding the terminologies of identity

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 September 2008, 00:43 GMT]
Many readers, Tamils as well as non-Tamils, wonder at the way words and phrases such as Eezham, Thamizh, Eezham Tamil or Eezham Thamizh, Tamil Eelam or Thamizh Eezham, Sinhala, Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan etc., are presented today in the media and the connotations implied by them. Culture Columnist Akazhaan discusses the etymology, historical linguistics and sociolinguistics of these terms in the context of the Tamil and Sinhala national questions in the island known as Sri Lanka today.
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Fresh SLA advance repulsed in Vannearikku'lam - LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 September 2008, 11:32 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA), which launched a fresh attempt to advance in Vannearikku'lam on Thursday suffered heavy casualties as the Tigers repulsed the move after heavy fighting that lasted for almost four hours, LTTE military officials in Vanni told TamilNet claiming that 25 SLA soldiers were killed in the fighting and more than 40 wounded. Two dead bodies of SLA soldiers were recovered and the Tigers have seized arms and ammunitions from the battlefield. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan military officials in Colombo claimed that their forces were engaged in a 3-hour sea battle from 11:30 a.m. with the LTTE Sea Tigers in the seas off Naachchikkudaa, claiming an equal number of casualties on LTTE side.
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22 SLA killed in Akkaraayan fighting, arms seized, say Tigers

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 September 2008, 19:51 GMT]
More than 22 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and at least 53 wounded Monday when the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) put up stiff resistance against the SLA offensive units that advanced in Akkaraayan area, southwest of Ki'linochchi district, the Tigers said. Releasing photographs taken from the battlefield where they recovered four SLA dead bodies and seized rocket launchers and machine guns, the LTTE officials told media in Vanni that the SLA was pushed back. Clearing mission was still going on, the Tigers said. Meanwhile, SLA officials in Colombo put their casualties as low as 3 killed in action and 9 wounded.
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Shoot at sight order on persons entering Moneragala jungles

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 September 2008, 17:42 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has launched a search operation in the jungles that come under the Divisional Secretariat divisions of Moneragala, Siyambalanduwa and Buttala in the Moneragala district in the Uva province for strangers alleged to be hiding following the killing of seven Sinhala villagers last week. SLA has warned that those who enter the jungles while the search operation is in progress will be shot at sight, Moneragala sources said.
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SLA restricts devotees performing ritual in Chelvachchannathi Temple

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 September 2008, 17:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna did not permit all the devotees who attended the water-cutting (Theertham)ceremony held Monday in Tho’ndaimaanaa’ru Chelvachchannathi temple located on the east of Tho’ndaimaanaa’ru lagoon to perform their annual water-cutting rituals of bathing in the lagoon. Only a few of the many thousands who wanted to perform this rite were allowed to bathe in the lagoon by the SLA soldiers who were deployed in large numbers around the temple precincts. Thousands of devotees from all parts of Jaffna peninsula attended the Thear festival (car) held Sunday and the water-cutting festival Monday.
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Heavy fighting in Akkaraayan, arms seized, 4 SLA bodies recovered - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 September 2008, 10:41 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials in Vanni told media that their forces were engaged in a stiff fighting with the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) that launched a fresh attempt to advance in the south of Akkaraayan Monday while the SLA shelling reached the A9 highway. The Tigers said their fighters have located dead bodies of four SLA soldiers and seized weapons including six RPG launchers, nine LMGs and more than 20 assault rifles from the battlefield, causing heavy casualties to the SLA.
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2 SLA killed in Maha Oya, arms seized - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 September 2008, 10:24 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed when Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) ambushed a motorbike patrol of the SLA in Maha Oya area, situated between Batticaloa district and Badulla district Monday morning around 7:30 a.m., the Tigers said adding that they seized a AK-47 and a T-56-type-2 assault rifles from the SLA with ammunitions.
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Family man shot dead in Chaavakachcheari

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 September 2008, 17:19 GMT]
Unidentified armed men on motor cycle following a young family man Thursday opened fire on him near Chaavakachcheari government hospital, sources in Chaavakachcheari said. The seriously injured victim was rushed to Chaavakachcheari hospital first and later transferred to Jaffna Teaching Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds Thursday. The vicitim was one of the persons in Thenmaraadchi who regularly report at the local Sri Lanka Army (SLA) civil administration office to sign the register on the orders of the SLA.
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SLA shoots dead youth in Vaazhaichcheanai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 September 2008, 16:27 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers shot and killed Wednesday around 9:30 p.m a youth at Kiraan in Vaazhaichcheanai police division in Batticaloa district, sources in Batticaloa said. SLA claimed to have found a Claymore mine, batteries, wire and cyanide in possession of the youth killed.
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