Fishing ban lifted in Mannar, victims receive compensation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 June 2006, 16:15 GMT]
The ban imposed on fishing in Mannar Sea by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) will be lifted from Sunday, except for Pesalai and Pallimunai, Sri Lanka Government sources from Mannar said. The decision was taken at a discussion held Saturday evening in Sunny Village SLN camp where three Sri Lanka Government Ministers, Mannar officials and commanders of security forces participated, sources said.
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Two SLA soldiers killed in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 June 2006, 10:35 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were shot and seriously injured by unidentified armed men riding a motorbike, at Vepankulam, 5 k.m. west of Vavuniya, around 2.15 p.m., Saturday. The injured soldiers succumbed to there injuries at Vavuniya hospital, police in the northern town said.
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SLA soldier placed grenade by husband's body, wife tells judge

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 June 2006, 03:02 GMT]
"On the day my husband was killed and his body lay on the ground, I saw SLA soldier hide a hand grenade inside his clothing,” said Sivathesam, 42, in her evidence at the murder inquiry of her husband Kaththamutthu Rasanayagam, 43, shot and killed by SLA soldiers at Santhivelli Main Road, legal sources said. The hearing was held before Judge M.H.M Achmir, Friday morning at the Batticaloa district court.
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SLN soldiers falsely implicate Mannar fisherman

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 June 2006, 15:59 GMT]
Mr.Anthony Balashankar, 35, Tamil fisherman and a father of five children, was arrested Thursday evening by the Sri Lanka Navy falsely implicating him that he was in possession of a grenade. The fisherman was produced in Mannar court Friday evening on a report that he was carrying a grenade with him at the time of arrest by the SLN soldiers. Additional Magistrate Mr.T.J.Pirapaharan remanded him till July 28, legal sources said.
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SLA hinders school rehabilitation work in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 June 2006, 15:46 GMT]
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooporation (SDC), which is running a post-conflict school rehabilitation programme in Jaffna, has written letters to the Government agent of Jaffna and the Military commander of Jaffna, informing that due to army harassment SDC is considering suspending school rehabilitation work at Hartley college and Methodist High Girls school which lie within the High Security Zone (HSZ), sources from Point Pedro said.
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Two SLA soldies injured in Point-Pedro attack die

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 June 2006, 10:21 GMT]
Two of the SLA soldiers including a corporal who suffered serious injuries, when their road patrol came under attack in Thunnali, Wednesday evening, died Thursday in Palaly military hospital, sources said. The third SLA soldier injured in the attack is undergoing emergency treatment at the military hospital in Palaly.
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Sri Lankan forces cordon, search Batticaloa town market

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 June 2006, 08:38 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police, Special Task Force (STF) and the SriLanka Army (SLA) troopers, with paramilitary cadres, cordoned off and searched Batticaloa town market area, located near Batticaloa Police station, Friday from 5:30 a.m. till 10:30 a.m. No arrests were made during the search operation, Police said.
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Mannar SLN Commander ordered to appear in Court

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 June 2006, 06:10 GMT]
"Within few minutes after the fire fight between the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was over in Mannar Sea on June 17th morning, four navy soldiers who returned from the shore in motorbikes lobbed grenades through the windows into the Church of Our Lady of Victory in Pesalai and fired at random on the church doors," said five witnesses giving evidence before the Mannar Additional Magistrate Mr.T.J.Pirapaharan Thursday. The Talaimannar Police led the evidence of the witnesses, legal sources said.
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UNICEF calls for halt to child recruitment by Karuna Group

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 June 2006, 11:27 GMT]
Following reports from the field in the past week of abductions and forced recruitment of children in the areas of Santhiveli, Kiran, Mankerni, Valaichchenai and Iruthayapuram in Manmunai North, the UNICEF, in a press release issued Thursday, condemned the abductions, and called for an immediate halt to the recruitment of children by Karuna Group.


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STF cordons, searches Amparai villages

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 June 2006, 11:00 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF) soldiers of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) cordoned off and searched Akkaraipattu, Aalaiyadi Vembu, Vaachikuda, Naavatkuda and Kolavil areas of Amparai district from 4:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Thursday, security sources said. Soldiers had in their possession a target list of names and registration numbers of motorbikes, local residents said.
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Son shot dead, father injured in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 June 2006, 10:43 GMT]
Armed men, carrying T56 assault rifles shot and killed, Milred Roy Weld, 39, and seriously wounded his father Milred Weld, 64, at around 9 p.m., Wednesday, while the two were resting after taking dinner at their home on Semakkalai Road in Jeyanthipuram, 1.5 km north of Batticaloa town, police sources said. Local residents alleged that the attackers were soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from Jeyanthipuram camp. The Weld family belongs to the Burgher community in Batticaloa.


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SLA recovers claymore mine in Chenkalady

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 June 2006, 10:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers on a road clearing patrol discovered a claymore mine concealed in the shrub jungle along the Chenkaladi main road near Sellam Theater in Batticaloa Eravur Police division at 11:50 a.m. Thursday, security sources said.
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Arsonists target Kopay Heroes Cemetary

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 June 2006, 03:28 GMT]
Arsonalists alleged to be soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and collaborating paramilitaries set fire to the office building inside the Liberation Tigers' Kopay Heroes Cemetary on Rasa Veethy (road) Tuesday midnight, local residents said. The attackers forced open the main entrance, ransacked the office building, heaped the furniture and other photographs in the building, and set them on fire. The roof of the building sustained serious fire damage. Memorial stones were left undamaged, residents added.
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Three SLA soldiers injured in Point-Pedro attack

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 June 2006, 19:44 GMT]
Three Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers including a corporal level officer were seriously injured when an SLA road patrol came under grenade attack followed by gunfire by unknown gunmen along the Point Pedro - Chavakachcheri road beween Manthikai junction and Kalikai junction in Vadamaradchy Wednesday afternoon, sources from Point Pedro said. Gunmen escaped after the attack.
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2 SLA troopers injured in Jaffna clash

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 June 2006, 10:45 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were injured when soldiers on road patrol duty, and unknown gunmen clashed about 100 meters from Vaddukoddai Hindu college, in Vaddukoddai, 9 km northwest of Jaffna town, Wednesday morning, civil sources said. The gunmen escaped with no injuries, sources added.


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85-year old man knifed to death in Jaffna islet

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 June 2006, 15:37 GMT]
Kathiravelu Subramaniam, 85, from 7th division in Punguduthivu, was found with severe cut wounds in his home Monday around 6:00 p.m., sources in Jaffna said. The lower parts of his body, including his genitals were severely dismembered, according to local residents.
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SLA soldier's body found with gunshot wounds in Kaithady

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 June 2006, 15:23 GMT]
The body of a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier who disappeared from the Thatchanthoppu SLA camp Tuesday morning at 6:30 a.m, was found with gunshot wounds in shrub jungles in a non-residential area of Kaithady in Thenmaradchy close the SLA camp, at 11.40 a.m., security sources in Jaffna said.
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SL Police delay in Allaipiddy investigations unacceptable- Judge

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 June 2006, 13:27 GMT]
Kayts district court Judge, Mr. Jeyaraman Trotsky accused the Sri Lanka Police of attempting to derail the investigations into the Allaipiddy killings in Jaffna islets, when the case was taken up at the Kayts Court Tuesday, legal sources said. Judge Trotsky in the earlier hearings gave 15 days extension to the special Committee lead by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) level officer Mahes Perera to submit a report detailing the investigations into the killings. Mr Mahesh Perera, instead, sent a letter to the judge citing reasons for the inability to submit the report and did not appear in Court, legal sources in Jaffna said.
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Jaffna Rights Group declines offer of SLA protection

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 June 2006, 10:08 GMT]
The new head of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) for the Jaffna district declined Sunday an offer made by the Jaffna Commander of SLA Major General Chandrasiri to provide security for the SLHRC's workers in Jaffna. The SLA offer was made following the death threats received by the previous head of the Commission for the Jaffna Peninsula Rohitha Priyadharshana who has since left Jaffna.
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Two Claymore mines captured in Eravur, says SLA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 June 2006, 09:13 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers captured two Claymore mines fixed in Eravur, targeting an SLA convoy Tuesday morning, SL police officials in Eravur quoted SLA sources as saying.
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