SLA arrests deserted soldiers

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 19:35 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has begun to arrest deserted soldiers who fail to return for duty on the expiry of amnesty period granted by the government. So far 1,700 such soldiers rejoined their ranks, said Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, military spokesman to the media.
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5 civilians missing in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2008, 09:20 GMT]
Five cattle breeders in Thoppikkal area have gone missing following the Claymore ambush at Periyavaddavaan in Tharavai (Thoppikkal) area in Batticaloa district Tuesday evening where 23 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed, sources in Batticaloa said. Meanwhile, more than 500 persons who had gone to the above area on errands were made to kneel by the SLA for a whole day while assaulting some of them, the sources added.
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23 Sri Lankan soldiers killed in Claymore ambush in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 August 2008, 10:29 GMT]
23 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and four wounded in a Claymore ambush at Periyavaddavaan in Tharavai (Thoppikkal) area in Batticaloa district Tuesday evening around 6:30, well informed sources in Batticaloa told TamilNet. Wounded soldiers were admitted to Welikande hospital. This is the first major ambush on SLA since the Sri Lankan forces occupied the Thoppikkal region an year ago.
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Bomb hoax creates panic in Jaffna Secretariat

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 August 2008, 00:37 GMT]
An anonymous phone call to Jaffna Government Agent (GA) Monday around 3:00 p.m claiming that a bomb has been placed in Jaffna Secretariat complex created panic among the staff and employees, sources in Jaffna said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and Police who rushed to the secretariat searched the premises and declared the area free of danger.
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SLA soldier shot dead in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 August 2008, 11:27 GMT]
Two unidentified armed men on motor cycle opened fire on the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) road patrol unit Tuesday around 2:30 p.m killing a soldier in Charava’naa Veethi in Kalladi area in Batticaloa police division, sources in Batticaloa said. SLA and police launched a cordon and search operation in the area following the shooting.
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Tigers seize weapons, recover 2 SLA dead bodies in Ve'l'laangku'lam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 August 2008, 06:49 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) have recovered two dead bodies of Sri Lanka Army soldiers, including one of of an 18-year-old soldier, following intense fighting on Sunday in Ve'l'laangku'lam and seized a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) Launcher, a T-56 assault rifle, ammunitions and accessories. The SLA has suffered heavy losses in three clashes at Ve'l'laangku'lam. Meanwhile, a heavy fighting was continuing at Paalamoaaddai front in Vavuniyaa, where at least 10 SLA soldiers were killed Monday, according to LTTE officials in Vanni.
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4 SLA soldiers killed, 2 injured in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 August 2008, 01:32 GMT]
Three Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers had been killed and two seriously injured Sunday at Thangki’lappu in Thenmaraadchi Front Defence Line (DFL) area in bomb explosions and artillery attack. Meanwhile, the body of an SLA soldier had washed ashore near Thanangki’lappu Sunday. SLA in Jaffna, however, said that three soldiers were killed and two seriously injured.
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Hostility will turn towards Sri Lanka's soldiers, says Janaka Perera

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 August 2008, 14:22 GMT]
"Those who congratulated me when I successfully led the military operation against the LTTE in the war front have been now carrying out a slandering campaign against me. Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army now moving forward in the war front against LTTE are also to face same fate in future," said Major General (retd) Janaka Perera, chief candidate of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) addressing a press briefing held in Anuradhapura Friday.
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STF intensifies cordon, search operations in Kalmunai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 August 2008, 12:20 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF) commandos and police are jointly engaged in cordon and search operations from last week in Kalmunai police division in Ampaa’rai district, subjecting the residents to increased restrictions, sources in Kalmunai said.
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30 SLA killed, offensive thwarted, Tigers locate SLA dead bodies

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 August 2008, 01:59 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam officials in Vanni told TamilNet that their defensive formations at Mallaavi thwarted Friday a three-pronged Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensive, which was launched from Vavunikku'lam and Paalaiyadi targeting Mallaavi. At least 30 SLA soldiers were killed and more than 60 troopers sustained injuries in an intense fighting, according to the Tigers. 3 dead bodies of SLA soldiers were also recovered by the Tigers. An SLA vehicle, one AK-LMG with rounds, one RPG launcher with shells, a mortar, eleven T-56 assault rifles were seized by the Tigers.
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Armed men abduct 5 civilians, release 4, in Ea’ravoor

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 August 2008, 10:01 GMT]
Armed men clad in military uniform, arriving in a white van, abducted five men Thursday around 8:15 p.m at Third Kurichchi area in Ea’raavoor police division in Batticaloa district, according to complaints lodged with the police by the relatives. Four of them were released after being interrogated in the Kalladi office of the paramilitary-cum-political party, Thamil Makkal Viduthali Pulikal (TMVP).
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SLAF helicopter hit by artillery fire in Ma'nalaa'ru

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 July 2008, 08:10 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Bell 212 helicopter, which was airlifting wounded Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers from Ma'nalaa'ru (Ma'nalaa'ru) was hit by artillery fire on and was forced to make emergency landing at Anuradhapura SLAF base Tuesday evening, a well informed source in Anuradhapura said.
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Member of European Parliament envisages converting Tamils to Buddhism

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 July 2008, 20:45 GMT]
"Frequently now I wonder whether Sri Lanka would have been a much more peaceful and much more homogeneous place if say 40% or so of the Tamil speaking population had been Buddhists and not exclusively Hindu or Christian. Is taking the Buddhist religion to Tamil people such a difficult task?" wonders Niranjan de Silva Deva-Aditya, Member of European Parliament (MEP) from U.K. and Honorary Ambassador-at-Large for Sri Lanka, in a statement after his recent visit to Sri Lanka as Vice-Chairman of the EU delegation. The Sinhala speaking MEP is tagged with a title, 'Vishwa Keerthi Sri Lanka Abhimani' (universally famous pride of Sri Lanka), bestowed onto him by the Buddhist clergy of Sri Lanka.
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SLA offensive repulsed in Paalamoaddai - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2008, 15:19 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials in Vanni told media Monday that a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) ground movement in Paalamoaddai in Vavuniyaa into LTTE controlled territory was repulsed by the Tigers after confrontations that lasted from 3:35 p.m. till 4:45 p.m. Five SLA soldiers were killed and seven wounded in the confrontations, according to LTTE officials.
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Ki'linochchi, Mullaiththeevu, not far away, says Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 09:40 GMT]
It is "not too far away," to "liberate the people of Ki'linochchi and Mullaiththeevu" and make them live under a "democratic set up" now being "enjoyed by the people of the eastern province," declared Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, addressing a provincial election campaign meeting in Anuradhapura on Saturday. The statement comes after Sri Lanka Army officials in Colombo told media that their forces were making "rapid progress" in Vanni claiming that the SLA recovered 37 dead bodies of LTTE fighters together with arms as the Sri Lankan forces were engaged in consolidating an offensive line south of Mallaavi.
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Army deserters arrested for entering Yala sanctuary

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2008, 02:10 GMT]
Six deserters of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) were arrested by the SLA soldiers and Wild Life department officials when they were entering the Yala sanctuary which has been declared out of bound for civilians due to security reasons, sources said.
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SLA declares amnesty to deserted soldiers

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2008, 02:36 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has declared fourth amnesty this year for the deserted soldiers to return to service before midnight on July 28. Those who fail would be arrested and would be produced in military court and be punished, SLA headquarters said in a release.
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Youth shot dead in Kodikaamam

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 July 2008, 14:28 GMT]
Two unidentified armed men on motorcycle shot and killed Wednesday around 5:00 p.m a youth at Veavil area in Kodikaamam in Thenmaraadchi while he was going to a relaitve’s house from his home in Veavil, sources in Kodikaamam said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) had conducted a large scale cordon and search operation in Kodikaamam area Monday following the killing of two SLA soldiers in Thenmaraadchi on Friday night.
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SLA launches large scale cordon, search in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2008, 17:26 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched a large scale cordon and search operation from Tuesday morning till evening covering areas west of A9 Jaffna-Kandy road blocking all the roads leading to the main road, local residents said. Residents were not allowed to leave their homes during the search.
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Youth shot dead, 2 injured in SLA shooting in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2008, 16:38 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers opened fire on three youths Tuesday around 1:00 a.m killing one and injuring the other two, along Loaddan Veethi, Maanippaay in Valikaamam, according to the report submitted by Maanippaay police to Mallaakam magistrate court. Police claimed that SLA soldiers on road patrol had opened fire on the youths when the youths tried to run away when ordered to stop. The injured youths are admitted for treatment in Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
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