Land mine defused by SLA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A road clearing patrol of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) defused a land mine today at Korakallimadu, 6 km south of Valaichenai on the Batticaloa - Valaichenai road, said army sources in the east. It is believed that the land mine was placed in readiness for a large SLA convoy carrying troops from Batticaloa to Polonnaruwa.
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Tigers, SLA exchange artillery fire - VoT

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said this evening that from early morning yesterday till evening, the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan Army had exchanged artillery and mortar fire in the Mankulam area. Kfir aircraft of the SLAF also bombed civilian areas in the Mankulam area, the radio said.
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Half a million malnourished - aid workers

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Around 500,000 persons suffer from malnutrition in the Vanni, accrding to NGO health workers region. Though not harsh as in Ethiopia, malnutrition has reached grave levels, they said. There have been a series of deaths due to this condition.
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Tigers hand over 16 SLA bodies

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in the Vanni today, 16 bodies of Sri Lankan Army (SLA) personnel killed at Olumadu yesterday, said ICRC sources in Colombo.
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Shell kills SLA officer

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
One Sri Lankan officer was killed and four other soldiers were wounded when the Liberation Tigers directed mortar fire on the SLA positions near Olumadu, 3 km east of Mankulam, today.
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Heavy SLA casualties near Mankulam - Radio

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
More than fifty SLA troops were killed and a large quantity of weapons and several bodies of soldiers were captured this morning when the Liberation Tigers stalled the attempt by the forces of Operation Jayasikurui to advance from their positions east of Mankulam in the Karuppattamurippu-Olumadu area, according to a news flash in the Thamil Eelam Vaanoli, the commercial service of the Voice of Tigers.
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Heavy resistance from Tigers - SLA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Sri Lankan security forces sources in Vavuniya said this evening that eight SLA soldiers were killed and sixty were wounded in heavy artillery counter fire from the positions of the Liberation Tigers in Mankulam this afternoon.
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SLA advance repulsed - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers announced today in the Vanni that they stopped the advance of the SLA this morning from its positions in Karuppattamurippu four kilometers east of Mankulam towards the strategic junction of Mankulam, capturing arms and ammunition and twenty bodies of SLA soldiers who were killed in this fighting today.
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Civilians languish in Mannar

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
More than 2000 civilians are languishing in the open exposed elements in the village of Pallamadu in Mannar, as the Sri Lankan Army is refusing them permission to travel through the entry point to the areas controlled by it, at Uyilankulam junction, which lies 9 km west of Mannar, on the Vavuniya - Mannar road.
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Journalists taken to Jayasikurui FDLs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
More than 40 foreign and local journalists were taken by the Sri Lankan Army to areas captured in Operation Jayasikurui, since it was launched in May last year. Journalists who went on the guided tour said this evening that the press team was taken from Vavuniya on the A9 highway to Jaffna, through Puliyankulam and Kanakarayankulam to a point 1.5 km from the latter
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SLA says close to Mankulam

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The SLA sources claimed today that they are just 1 km away from Mankulam town on the highway to Jaffna (the A9). They said that the troops of Operation Jayasikurui have advanced north by the side of the highway from Kanakarayan Kulam despite heavy resistance by the Liberation Tigers.
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Soldier killed in mine blast

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A soldier of the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) was killed in a mine explosion at Korakallimadu, 20 km north of Batticaloa, on the Batticaloa Valaichenai Road around 10.30 a.m. this morning, said sources in Valaichenai. There were no other casualties.
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SLA burns KIA bodies

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The SLA, according to sources in Vavuniya, burnt all 41 of the bodies of SLA soldiers which they received from the ICRC today at Madukanda, an area near Vavuniya.
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MoD blocks UNHCR office

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Moves by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to build a new office, 4 km east of Mallavi, are being stalled by officials in the Ministry of Defence (MoD), said UNHCR sources in Vavuniya. The MoD is delaying approval for building materials to be transported to Mallavi for construction work to begin.
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Massive search operation in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
More than 1500 soldiers from the SLA camps which dot the strategic Valaichenai junction, 30 k.m north of Batticaloa, launched a massive search operation in five Tamil villages in the area.
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Teenage refugee assaulted in SLA camp

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A girl arrested by the SLA from the refugee camp at Poonthottam in Vavuniya on Sunday January 18 and released last morning was admitted to the Vavuniya hospital with complaints of internal pains later.
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Tigers still said holding Kanakarayan Kulam

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Troops of Operation Jayasikurui ('Victory Assured' in Sinhalese) contrary to Sri Lanka Government (SLG) claim last week that Kanakarayan Kulam had come under the military's control, are still two kilometers from the strategic town on the A-9 and have to cross Kanakarayan Aaru (river), to reach their goal, said sources in Vavuniya today.
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Youth shot at while fishing

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A Tamil youth, S. Sivakumar (17), was severely wounded when he was shot by soldiers while he was fishing at the Valaichenai lagoon, at 6.00 p.m. today, said sources in Valachenai.
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Two navy personnel killed

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers attacked a Listening Post ahead of Operation Jayasikurui defences at Periyamadu last night killing two Navy personnel deployed there.
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SLA 'motorcycle group' arrest Palameenmadu youth

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Sri Lankan soldiers and two hooded informants arrived on motorcycles and took away a youth at Palameenmadu, two km east of Batticaloa town around 6:00 p.m. this evening, said sources in Batticaloa.
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