5 civilians killed, 44 wounded in Pesalai, SLN troopers lob grenades at church

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 June 2006, 02:59 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) troopers shot and killed four fishermen at the shores of Pesalai in Mannar and lobbed at least four grenades Saturday morning into the Church of Our Lady of Victory in Pesalai, killing a woman and wounding at least 44 persons, half of them in critical condition. The four fishermen were killed at the shores of Pesalai, 15 km northwest of Mannar, around 7:00 a.m. Saturday, when the troopers began attacking civilians after a naval battle with the Sea Tigers near Pesalai. Six of eight missing SLN troopers were confirmed dead in the sea fight, according to SLN sources.
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TRO's main storage facility robbed in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 June 2006, 19:43 GMT]
The Tamils Rehabilitation Organization's (TRO), Batticaloa main storage facility located at Old road, close to the Batticaloa railway station, inside the heavy security military controlled zone of Batticaloa Town, was robbed Thursday night at around 11.15 p.m., said Kesavan, the Batticaloa district head of TRO.
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Mannar Bishop calls for end to violence

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 June 2006, 18:21 GMT]
Rt.Rev.Rayappu Joseph, Bishop of Mannar Diocese Friday said killings of civilians have increased several folds after the first round of Geneva peace talks and appealed to the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to resume the stalled peace talks immediately, with the facilitation of the international community and to put an end to these killings. The Bishop was addressing a meeting held in the premises of Mannar St.Mary's Cathedral, Friday morning.
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Three Tamil youths shot dead in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 June 2006, 12:23 GMT]
Three Tamil civilian youths were shot dead allegedly by soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Friday morning at Periyakulam, located close to the Welgampura along Trincomalee-Anuradhapuram Road about ten km off the east port town, civil sources in Trincomalee said. A large Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp is located in Periyakulam area.
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DPU agent killed, one captured, two trapped in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 June 2006, 00:18 GMT]
Two Sri Lankan Deep Penetration Unit attackers, who fled Illuppadichenai, a Liberation Tigers controlled territory 17 km west off Batticaloa, were chased by the Tigers, after a Claymore attack Thursday 9:30 p.m. The DPU personnel went hiding into the Pankudaveli jungle close to the Batticaloa lagoon. Later, Sri Lanka Army dispatched a DPU rescue team of two, from Eravur towards the Pankudaveli jungle across the Batticaloa lagoon, in boats. LTTE cadres gunned down one of the two rescue DPU team members and the other was captured alive by the Tigers around 2:20 a.m. Friday, Batticaloa District Political Head Daya Mohan said.
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Young Mayor assumes duties in Kalmunai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 June 2006, 17:46 GMT]
21 year-old youth Mr.Abdul Rahim Asmir of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Thursday assumed duties as the first Mayor of the Kalmunai Municipal Council, and 52 year old Mr. Ismalebbe Kamardeen of Maruthamunai as Deputy Mayor at an event held in the Municipal Council building Thursday. "I will discharge my duties as the first citizen of the Kalmunai promoting better understanding between Muslims and Tamils and also would be taking concrete steps to develop the town," said the new Mayor in his address.
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Japan, Switzerland condemn claymore attack on passenger bus

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 June 2006, 11:37 GMT]
Embassies of Japan and Switzerland in Colombo, in press releases issued Thursday, strongly condemned the attack on passenger bus in the region of Anuradhapura which killed several dozens of civilians including children and expressed condolences to the Sri Lankan people and the authorities.
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Elilan complains to SLMM on artillery fire in Muttur east

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 June 2006, 08:36 GMT]
Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thursday complained to the monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission who had been witnessing the multi-barrel artillery fire launched by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) that the time has come for the SLMM to take a decisive decision on the indiscriminate artillery attack on Tamil civilian population in the Muttur east by the State armed forces., sources said.
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SLA launches artillery fire on Muttur east villages

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 June 2006, 08:28 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has been continuing its multi-barrel artillery attacks on several villages in the Liberation Tigers held Muttur east in the Trincomalee district which began around 10.30 a.m. Thursday morning. Several houses belong to Tamil civilians in Sampoor, Kaddaiparichchan, Koonitivu, Soodaikuda and Ilankanthai have been destroyed in the artillery fire now being carried out from SLA camp located at Monkey Bridge along Trincomalee-Kandy road about 10 km off southwest of east port town, sources said.
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SLA soldier from DPU gunned down, Claymore attack averted

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 June 2006, 08:21 GMT]
Liberation Tigers cadres shot dead a Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) soldier of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Thursday morning in LTTE controlled Puliyankulam Nedunkerni Road between Mathiyamadu and Nainamadu, LTTE officials told media. Meanwhile, the dead body of a SLA soldier who was wearing LTTE uniform shot dead on 13 June was handed over to the ICRC officials at the request of Vanni command of the Sri Lankan forces, the Tigers further said.
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Kebitigollawe attack, senseless violence used for political ends - LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 June 2006, 06:34 GMT]
The Claymore attack on Sinhala civilians in Kebitigollawe Thursday morning was "senseless violence used for political ends," the Liberation Tigers condemning the attack said in press release issued from Kilinochchi. Armed acts targeting civilians "cannot be justified under any circumstances," the press release said and charged Sri Lankan armed elements who have intensified their attacks on Tamil civilians for political ends, have also begun targeting Sinhala civilians with the aim of blaming the Tigers. The LTTE has urged the International media "not to fall prey for the reprehensible propaganda tactic."
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64 killed, 94 wounded in Claymore blast in Kebitigollawe

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 June 2006, 03:30 GMT]
64 passengers, including fifteen children and a Buddhist monk, were killed and around 94 wounded when a civilian bus was caught in a claymore mine blast near Kebitigollawe, 23 km southeast of Vavuniya, around 7:50 a.m. Thursday, police sources said. Wounded survivors were rushed to Kepitigollawe and Anuradhapura hospitals. The majority of victims are Sinhalese, officials said.
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Samaraweera receives "unusually high-level" reception in Norway

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 June 2006, 15:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera has received a high-level reception, unusual for a Foreign Minister, according to International Development Minister Erik Solheim, who said Wednesday that Norway has to maintain close relationship with the parties to the conflict if it was to achieve any progress in the peace process. Mangala Samaraweera, once an opponent of Norwegian facilitation in Sri Lanka, was received by His Majesty King Harald V while Norwegian Tamil activists protested outside the Royal Palace in Oslo.
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Two Sri Lanka Police injured in Batticaloa attack

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 June 2006, 13:37 GMT]
Unidentified armed men lobbed hand grenades at Arumuhaththan Kudiyiruppu police sentry post, 16 km north of Batticaloa, in the Tamil-Muslim border area of Eravur, at around 7:15 p.m, Tuesday, seriously injuring two police officers, Eravur police said.
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One-sided pressure will not work- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 June 2006, 09:45 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is prepared to demonstrate the power of balance and the parity of status beyond any doubt to the Sinhala polity, if the the deteriorating relationship between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE forces us to do so, said LTTE's Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi responding to a question on Oslo meeting, sources in Kilinochchi said. The Sri Lankan delegation walked out from the Oslo meeting on a dispute on parity of status.
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LTTE delegation leaves Zurich

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 June 2006, 01:39 GMT]
The LTTE delegation led by Head of Political Wing S.P.Thamilchelvan left for Kilinochchi from Zurich airport Tuesday afternoon after meeting several Swiss government officials, Tamil sources in Switzerland said. The delegation arrived in Switzerland Sunday after completing discussions with the Norwegian facilitators and with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Friday and meeting with the LTTE's Constitutional Affairs Committee Saturday. The non-cabinet level Sri Lanka delegation left Oslo mid-day Thursday after refusing to meet with a similar level group from the LTTE delegation.
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Claymore attack averted in Vanni, 3 dead in gunfire

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 June 2006, 15:32 GMT]
Members of Tamil auxilliary brigade on a road clearing patrol on Nedunkerni road, between Nainamadu and Puliyankulam, inside the Liberation Tigers controlled area intercepted a team of Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) troopers of the Sri Lanka Army, who were fixing 3 Claymore mines. Two Tamil auxilliaries and an SLA soldier were killed when both exchanged gunfire. At least one bag with "SLA" mark was recovered from the attackers, according to the video footage released by the National Television of Tamileelam (NTT). The SLA soldier killed was clad in LTTE uniform. The clash took place around 11:00 a.m. Tuesday.
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Jaffna Journalists to boycott Colombo meet

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 June 2006, 15:05 GMT]
Members of the Jaffna Journalists Association (JJA) have decided to boycott the North-South bridge of friendship meeting planned by a group of Media Institutions in the South to be held in Colombo on the 21st, 22nd of June, a communique issued by the JJA said Tuesday, sources from Jaffna said.
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Housing project for Akkaraipattu tsunami victims commences

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 June 2006, 11:46 GMT]
Mr.Kanagasabai Pathmanathan, Amparai district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian and Rev.Fr.Sylvester Sritharan, Director, EHED-Caritas Monday laid foundation for permanent housing project for tsunami affected families in Akkaraipattu Sinnamuhathuwaram in an eight acre plot at Kolaviltheevukalai, sources in Trincomalee said. EHED-Caritas is funding the project.
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Tamil youth shot dead in Chenkalady

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 June 2006, 11:03 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a Tamil youth, Ponniah Pulendiran, 20, around 9.30 p.m, Monday at Ammanpuram in Kumaraveliyar village, Chenkalady, 15 km Northwest of Batticaloa, Eravur Police said. Pulendtran was with his parents when the gunmen entered the house, forced him out of the house before shooting him in close range, his parents said.


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