Independence celebrations overshadowed by conflict

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Events in other parts of Sri Lanka have rendered the golden jubilee of national independence, and its celebration tomorrow in Kotte, the country's administrative capital, almost a non-event.
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Tigers say fighting continues

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) broad cast this morning gave the names of six more Tigers who were killed in the fighting in Kilinochchi. The Radio quoted the Eelanatham daily which is published in the Vanni saying that the fighting has been going on for more than 24 hours.
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SLA sources differ on Kilinochchi situation

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
SLA sources at the Palaly base in Jaffna said that fighting in the Kilinochchi area was continuing till this afternoon. They said that thus far fifty soldiers have been confirmed killed in the fighting. The SLA sources were unable to confirm whether army casualties will mount further.
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Doubts over SLA claims

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Tamil Eelam Radio, the commercial broadcast of the Voice of Tigers, said in its evening broadcast today that the fighting in the Paranthan Kilinochchi area continues to rage for the second day. Hence, no clear details of the battle are available as yet it said. The Radio said that the SLAF is continuing with retaliatory strikes against civilian targets in the Vanni today.
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Kilinochchi base said badly hit

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Latest reports from army sources in the north indicate that the large Kilinochchi base of the Sri Lankan army has been very badly hit by the ongoing LTTE attack.
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Kilinochchi military complex overrun - Radio

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The LTTE has overrun the defences and destroyed the camps and minicamps of the Kilinochchi military base complex, said the Voice of Tigers (VoT) in its night broadcast today.
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Heavy casualties at Paranthan - SLA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Army claimed today that they had recaptured the Paranthan Base which came under three pronged assault by the Liberation Tigers, from 1.30 a.m. in the early hours of the morning today.
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LTTE says Kilinochchi assault continues

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VOT) said in their night broadcast today that the attack on Kilinochchi continues. The Tigers, according to the VOT, had launched a heavy artillery barrage on the Kilinochchi-Paranthan base.
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Large Tamil rally in London

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Thousands of Tamil people staged a march and rally in London today, condemning the Sri Lankan government and expressing support for the LTTE. The event was organised by the United Tamils Organisation to "mark fifty years of oppression by Sinhala Sri Lankan governments" according to a press release issued by it earlier today.
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Parents of Tigers assaulted

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The STF cordoned off Thalankudah, about 9 kilometers south of Batticaloa, yesterday and herded the villagers to the local catholic church. Here, about ten families were singled out with the assistance of Sinnavan, a TELO cadre working in the STF camp at the Manmunai ferry 3 kilometers to west of Thalankudah.
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Amnesty concerned over Indian convictions

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Amnesty International said that it "is concerned that 26 people sentenced to death by a special court in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on 28 January 1998 may not have received a fair trial according to international standards for fair trial", in a statement released by the London based human rights organisation last thursday.
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Tigers attack SLA truck

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Four SLA soldiers were killed and four were wounded when the Liberation Tigers attacked a military truck near the 18th mile post on the Vavuniya - Mannar road last night around 9.00 p.m.
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Grenade thrown at SLA patrol

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers threw grenade at a Sri Lankan Army petrol today 11.30 a.m. in Lotus road, in Aarukal Madathadi in Anaikoddai. Reports from Jaffna said that some SLA soldiers were injured in the grenade attack. Later, the army demolished a house from which the attackers had thrown grenade.
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Civilians injured in pre-poll shelling

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Five civilians, including a 12 year old child, were injured when the Sri Lankan Army shelled Gurnagar, an area by the lagoon in Jaffna town yesterday around 10:45 p.m., said the Jaffna TN correspondent.
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Sporadic violence in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A mentally unbalanced person was shot and wounded by the SLA around midnight on Kasturiyar Road in Jaffna town. He was admitted to the Jaffna hospital and has been identified as Arunaslam Nagaratnam,47.
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Police rampage in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Anarchy reigned at Akkaraipattu town last evening around 6.30 p.m., as policemen, incensed at the killing of two of their number, fired indiscriminately in the market place killing two people, burning Tamil shops and causing mayhem in the town, said sources in Akkaraipattu.
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Tigers hit Valaichenai SLA camps

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
SLA troops are still clearing the area where the Liberation Tigers overran and burnt the Vaakaneri army camp, eight kilometers west of Valaichenai. Army sources in Batticaloa said that more than forty soldiers were wounded in the attack and eight bodies of those killed in the attack have been recovered until this afternoon.
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Tigers list captured weapons

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The VOT radio gave the list of weapons the Liberation Tigers captured from the SLA when they overran the army camp on the Polannaruwa - Valaichenai road last night.
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Army bans civilians from leaving Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The government decided to completely ban civilians from the LTTE controlled parts of the Vanni unless for very special reasons according to new strict regulations which came into affect from today. No civilians from the LTTE controlled parts of the Vanni will henceforth be permitted to enter Vavuniya.
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Polls overshadowed by developments elsewhere

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Civilian activity on the roads of Jaffna came to a virtual standstill today, the eve of local government elections, as residents stayed at home through fear, said sources in the peninsula. What was seen on the roads were buses, specially brought from Colombo for the polls, transporting officers on election duty, ballot boxes and ballot papers, under heavy armed guard by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).
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