SLMM stops Sri Lanka troops from checking LTTE Jaffna office

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 June 2003, 17:00 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) members in Jaffna were able to diffuse the tension built up in Chullipuram area in Jaffna district when soldiers of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Monday morning surrounded the LTTE political office located at Vallakambarai- Chullipuram and attempted to search it, sources said.

Tension prevailed in the area when the soldiers tried to enter despite objection by the LTTE activists there, sources said

The LTTE members then warned the government troops that they would swallow cyanide capsules if they forcibly entered their political office, sources said.

Monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission arrived at the site and brought the situation under control. Later the soldiers withdrew from the area where the LTTE office is located, sources said.

However the presence of large number of troops and about thirty motorbike field groups of the SLA were seen in the village even after the SLMM monitors left the scene, sources said.

Residents said they heard gunshots but they were unable to locate the site from where it came, sources said