19 detainees released

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 August 2006, 10:18 GMT]
Nineteen Tamil youths who were arrested by Sri Lanka Army soldiers during a search operation in Chavakachcheri on Friday were relesed Saturday, Human Rights Commission officials said.
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Police attacked in Vavuniya, two AK rifles recovered

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 August 2006, 13:04 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen fired at a police party at Kurumankadu in front of Kalaimagal pre-school, about 1 k.m. west of Vavuniya on the Mannar road, around 1 p.m., Saturday. Two AK rifles were recoved during the susequent search operation in the area, police said.
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Two men shot, killed by SLA in Karaveddy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 August 2006, 11:12 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers shot and killed two men in early thirties in Vadamaradchy East, Karaveddy at midnight 12:10 a.m Friday, sources in Jaffna said. The bodies of the men, yet to be identified, are still lying in front of a business premises along Sengunthar Road, near Kalikovil.
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SLA troopers enter University premises in Jaffna, arrest student leader

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 August 2006, 07:05 GMT]
Large number of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers rounded up the Jaffna University, broke open the office of the Jaffna University Students Federation, arrested a student activist and took away the computers and documents, Friday, while the curfew was strictly observed, student sources said.


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Thousand civilians enter LTTE held Vanni region

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 August 2006, 15:48 GMT]
Stranded Tamil civilians in Vavuniya town for about six days were allowed to travel through Omanthai check point to the LTTE held districts of Killinochchi, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya North division in the Vavuniya district Friday. The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) reopened the Vavuniya-Omanthai check point Friday afternoon around 2.30 p.m for limited hours due to combined effort taken by Mr.Kishore Sivanathan, Vanni district parliamentarian and officials of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and Vavuniya district secretariat.
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SLA arrests 16 Tamil civilians in Chavakachcheri

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 August 2006, 09:20 GMT]
Sixteen Tamil civilians were arrested by soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) when they were conducting a cordon and search operation in Chavakachcheri town and its suburbs Allarai, Periyamawadi, Kappachchi Mavadi and Kovilkuddiruppu Thursday afternoon from 12.30 p.m. till 4.30 p.m. About five thousand civilians were taken to Chavakachcheri Hindu College and were produced before a masked man who identified these sixteen civilians. They were detained in the Varani SLA camp. Relations of the arrested civilians immediately lodged complaints with the Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), civilians sources said.
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Newspaper delivery agent shot and killed in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 August 2006, 13:40 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army fired at a delivery van of the Uthayan, the Tamil daily published in Jaffna district, at Puthur junction near Atchchuveli Tuesday around 11:00 a.m, killing the newspaper agent. The delivery van was on it's way after distributing parcels of Uthayan Tuesday issue during the relaxation period of curfew, civil sources said. The curfew in Valikamam sector was relaxed between 10:00 a.m. and 01:00 p.m. In Vadamaradchi sector, the curfew was lifted from noon till 03:00 p.m.
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SLA closing down small camps in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 August 2006, 18:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers are closing down several small camp-houses in the Jaffna peninsula and withdrawing into stronger camps Monday, sources in the northern peninsula said.
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Tigers repulse SLA counter-thrust

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 August 2006, 16:41 GMT]
A counter-thrust by the Sri Lanka Army’s (SLA) elite 53 division to recapture areas in Jaffna lost to the Liberation Tigers in the past two days was destroyed by LTTE forces using artillery and close quarter fighting, sources in Kilinochchi said. In Colombo, ambulances have been shuttling between Ratmalana and hospitals in the capital since early hours Sunday carrying military wounded, sources said.


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40 civilians feared killed, 100 wounded in SLA shelling

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 August 2006, 15:26 GMT]
At least 15 persons were killed and 20 severely wounded when rockets and artillery shells fired from Palaly military base hit St. Phililp Mary Church in Allaipiddy, Sunday morning, where civilians had sought refuge. Ambulances dispatched from Jaffna hospital Sunday evening brought the wounded to the hospital. 37 wounded civilians were rushed to Jaffna hospital from other areas, Allaipiddy, Mankumban and Mandaithivu. Meanwhile, SLA soldiers resumed firing rockets from a Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) from Duraiappa stadium in Jaffna town, Sunday evening, sources said.
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8 pilgrims killed in Muhamalai, 4 survive, fate of 37 not known

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 August 2006, 14:56 GMT]
Seven Jaffna civilians returning from a religious pilgrimage to Kathirgamam Hindu Temple were killed by artillery fired by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops retreating north from the Muhamalai checkpost, civil society sources in Jaffna said. The SLA had blocked a bus with 48 civilian pilgrims returning from Kathirgamam to Jaffna Friday evening. Four of the passengers survived artillery and gunfire attacks by the SLA troops while withdrawing from their checkposts. The injured were rescued by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres Saturday. Fate of the others is not known.
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SLA closes Vavuniya, Uyilankulam, Madhu checkpoints

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 August 2006, 12:37 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Saturday morning closed the entry points to and from LTTE held areas in Omanthai, Vavuniya, and in the Mannar district at Uyilankulam and Madhu junction until further notice. Madhu church is located in LTTE held area. Madhu junction is the gateway to Madhu Church located in LTTE area. Due to the closure of the Madhu junction entry point about ten thousand pilgrims who have already gone to attend the annual Madhu church festival are unable to leave for their hometowns in the south and elsewhere in the country, sources said.
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SLA allows food convoy after SL President's intervention

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 August 2006, 00:18 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) manning the checkpoint at Mankerni allowed a convoy of lorries carrying dry ration and other food materials to enter the LTTE held Vaharai area at 5:00 p.m. Friday after Sri Lanka's President intervened on the request of TNA parliamentarian, Mr R Sampanthan, civil society sources said. The relief material was intended for distribution among the thousands of internally displaced Tamil civilians who fled from Muthur east and Eachchilampathu division in Trincomalee district following heavy aerial bombardment and artillery by the SLA, sources said.
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Sri Lankan soldiers block food supply to Tamil IDPs

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 August 2006, 07:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in the Mankerni army camp in Batticaloa district Thursday refused permission for a food convoy of more than ten vehicles taken to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held Vaharai area by the South Indian Church to be distributed among hundreds of thousands of internally displaced fled from Muthur east and Eachchilampathu due to indiscriminate artillery fire and aerial bombardment in recent days. The IDPs have been staying in temples. Schools and public buildings at Palsenai, Vammivedduwan, Vaharai in the Koralaipathu North Divisional Secretariat division in the Batticaloa district, sources said.
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Allai-Kantalai road closed for civilian traffic

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 August 2006, 15:45 GMT]
Allai-Kantalai highway located south of Trincomalee district has been closed for civil traffic to enable the injured soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to be transported to Kantalai district hospital without delay, civil society sources in Trincomalee said.
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Fighting kills 41 SLA troops, wounds 120

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 August 2006, 13:54 GMT]
Sri Lankan Army advancing into LTTE-controlled areas have lost 41 soldiers killed in Thursday’s heavy fighting around the Maavil Aru sluice gates, military sources said. 22 soldiers have been seriously wounded and 98 others wounded, military officials in Colombo said speaking on condition of anonymity. Meanwhile the LTTE military spokesman, Rasiah Ilanthirayan said ten Tigers had died and 20 were wounded.
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Vavuniya Hospital staff protest over Claymore attack on doctor and staff

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 August 2006, 10:26 GMT]
Vavuniya General Hospital staff including doctors, nurses, and hospital administration staff Thursday held a token strike on A9 Road for two hours protesting against the claymore attack Tuesday night in Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled Nedunkerni in which a doctor and four staff were killed, sources in Vavuniya said. Protestors who allowed to proceed a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) ambulance, did not allow a water-bowser to proceed. Nedunkerni hospital comes under Deputy Provincial Directors of Health (DPDH) in Vavuniya.
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SLA trooper killed, two injured in Kokuvil claymore attack

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 August 2006, 10:03 GMT]
One Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier was killed and two seriously injured when a claymore mine placed along the KKS Road between Kokuvil junction and Nachchimar Hindu Temple, targeted at the SLA road patrol exploded at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, sources from Jaffna said.
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50 civilians killed, 200 wounded, renewed SLA offensive

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 August 2006, 04:59 GMT]
Atleast 50 civilians were killed and more than 200 were injured in Sri Lankan forces aerial bombardment and artillery attacks, Thursday morning, in Kathiraveli and surrounding villages as thousands of civilians were still fleeing the areas. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched a fresh offensive, involving thousands of troopers, from Kallaru SLA camp towards Maavilaru sluice-gate while launching indiscriminate aerial and artillery attacks on Eachilampathu and it's suburbs. Liberation Tigers Military Spokesman Irasaiah Ilanthirayan, speaking from Kilinochchi said: "We can only interpret this as Colombo's declaration of war."
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SLA blocks food convoy to Vaharai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 August 2006, 20:51 GMT]
S.Jeyananthamoorthy, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament for Batticaloa District, accused the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) for stopping food convey of NGOs to the Internally Displaced People (IDP) in the LTTE controlled Vaharai area and worsening the already dire situation prevailing in Vaharai for essential supplies for the IDPs. Eight lorries carrying food and other essentials were barred from entering Vaharai by soldiers of the Kajuwatta Camp on the orders from Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence (MoD), civil society sources said.
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