4 civilians wounded in alleged SLA grenade attack in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 December 2006, 08:41 GMT]
Four civilians, two women and two brothers employed at a shop, were severely wounded in a grenade attack near a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) post close to Sathira Juction on Hospital Road in Jaffna town Tuesday noon. No SLA soldier was wonded in the grenade attack reported amid repeated threats by the SLA troopers to the shop owners in the area, to close down their establishments near the army post.
Full story >>

6 killed, 9 injured in Jaffna clashes - SLA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 December 2006, 08:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army authorities in Jaffna said that 6 LTTE members were killed and 9 SLA soldiers were injured, two of them seriously, in clashes at Kakaithivu in Navanthurai, a suburb of Jaffna town, around 8:30 p.m, Monday.
Full story >>

SLA curfew subdues festivities in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 December 2006, 16:56 GMT]
Christian parish priests in Jaffna peninsula requested Friday their parish members to observe Christmas and New Year festivities in a quiet manner at their homes with their neighbours because of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) all night curfew imposed on the peninsula and the risks involved. Special Christmas and New Year Church services including mid night Christmas mass celebrating the birth of infant Jesus have been postponed, Christian sources said.
Full story >>

Civilian shot dead, another seriously injured in Thenmaradchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 December 2006, 10:41 GMT]
Two unidentified armed men following on a motor cycle opened fire on two civilians riding a motor bicycle along Kachai Road at Kodikamam in Thenmaradchi Saturday around 3:00 p.m, killing one on the spot and seriously injuring the other, sources from Kodikamam said. The seriously injured man was rushed to Jaffna Teaching hospital and the dead body of the victim is kept at the hospital morgue.


Full story >>

Basil Rajapakse visits Jaffna with Devananda

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 December 2006, 13:43 GMT]
A heavily guarded Special Conference was held at the Jaffna Public Library Thursday from 10:30 a.m to 1:00 p.m, presided by Basil Rajapakse, the brother and advisor of President Mahinda Rajapakse, to discuss matters related to restore normalcy to Jaffna peninsula with the key Government officials of the peninsula, attended by minister and leader of EPDP, Douglas Devananda and a team of junior ministers of the relevant ministries from Colombo, Jaffna sources said. Diffusing the present critical situation in the matters of supply and distribution and resuming normalcy were the important subjects dealt with, in the conference, sources close to Jaffna Secretariat said.


Full story >>

Besieged Vaharai continues to starve

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 December 2006, 14:18 GMT]
More than 20 000 civilians in the Sri Lanka military besieged territory Vaharai are again forced to survive without humanitarian supplies. Children are again forced search for fruits and catch fish and crabs on their own to eat as main meal. Parents continue to suffer from psychological trauma witnessing the plight of their children.
Full story >>

Hurricane force winds displace civilians, damage houses in Amparai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 December 2006, 17:53 GMT]
The coastal village of Komari in Amparai district was affected by a mini cyclone Tuesday early morning at 5:00 a.m forcing over 200 civilians to flee their homes and seek refuge in the homes of their relatives, sources in Amparai said.
Full story >>

Two LTTE cadres to be disciplined over Thirukkovil episode

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 December 2006, 17:22 GMT]
Two Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres have been ordered transferred to Kilinochchi from Amparai, to face disciplinary action for enlisting underage youths from a tuition centre in Thirukkovil Monday, LTTE officials in Amparai told TamilNet. All the 23 civilians, including the 21 students, in the custody of an LTTE unit attached to a training camp, were freed after an internal investigation initiated by LTTE Commander Ram.
Full story >>

Humanitarian situation worsens in Vaharai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 December 2006, 13:30 GMT]
More than 20 000 civilians continue to stay in temporary refugee camps at schools and surrounding houses in villages Kathiraveli, Vammivedduvan and Palchenai in Vaharai region amid acute shortage of food and humanitarian supplies, a local NGO official told TamilNet. Many families from Vaharai were forced to leave behind their grandparents who were unable to walk long distances.
Full story >>

Battle for seats

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 December 2006, 23:27 GMT]
For the half million or so civilians in Jaffna, travel to a town outside the district has become an almost impossible endeavor. "This is the fourth day I am standing here in pouring rain and scorching sun to obtain tickets from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for a seat in their ship to travel to Colombo. We are standing close to where Jaffna Railway Station once stood. Getting out of Jaffna even for an emergency visit to Colombo has become a nightmare," says Sinnappu Rajadurai, 47, of Chankanai who stands in a line in front of the Sinhala Maha Vidyalayam in Jaffna.
Full story >>

3 Karuna paramilitary cadres shot dead in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 December 2006, 07:42 GMT]
Unidentified armed men using pistols shot dead on the spot Monday around 8:30 a.m three cadres of Karuna paramilitary group standing along the Main Road near Chenkalady market in the Earvur police division in Batticaloa, sources in Batticaloa said. One civilian, standing by and seriously injured in the shooting was first rushed to Chenkalady hospital and later transferred to Batticaloa Teaching hospital for further treatment.


Full story >>

14,000 Civilians displaced from Vaharai

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 December 2006, 00:37 GMT]
Nearly Fourteen thousand Tamil refugees have been displaced from LTTE-controlled Vaharai area in Batticaloa District towards the areas under the control of Sri Lankan Army (SLA), Koralai Pattu North (Vaharai), Regional secretariat sources reported on Sunday.
Full story >>

Jaffna security arrangements add to Islets residents woes

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 December 2006, 16:48 GMT]
Recent relocation of Jaffna bus terminal to Pannai by Sri Lanka Army (SLA), and overflow of traffic along outer peripheral roads due to reconfiguration of traffic flow including prohibition of parking, have created additional burdens to families from the islets entering and leaving Jaffna town, civil society leaders said. Restrictions of intra-islet travel, and of transport in interior land routes have added further hardships for the people in these areas.
Full story >>

Seven civilians feared killed in SLA artillery attack

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 December 2006, 18:52 GMT]
Seven Internally Displaced civilians traveling from Kathiraveli to Vaharai in a two-wheel tractor were killed when an artillery shell fired by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) exploded on their vehicle at 5:00 pm Friday, injured passengers in the tractor told medical officials in Kathiraveli. The fellow passengers told the officials that they had to bury the dead before returning to Kathiraveli.


Full story >>

Declare Vaharai a safe zone ­-Trinco MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 December 2006, 00:23 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Trincomalee district, K. Thurairetnasingam, urged the International Community and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to convince the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), to demarcate a safe zone in Vaharai where thousands of Internally Displaced People (IDP) from Trincomalee district who had fled their homes due to SLA onslaught are currently trapped.
Full story >>

SLA shelling kills two civilians, injures three in Vaharai

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 December 2006, 12:22 GMT]
Kallaru Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Trincomalee launched shells Friday around 12:30 p.m on Kathiraveli civilian settlements in Vaharai in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) territory killing two civilians and seriously injuring three, sources from Vaharai said.
Full story >>

STF, LTTE exchange mortar fire in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 December 2006, 10:54 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF), stationed at Pattiruppu Bridge, Kalavanchikudy in Batticaloa, launched mortar shells Friday around 1:30 a.m on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) territory in Porathivu. The LTTE retaliated with mortar fire. Two civilians were injured in the exchange, sources from Batticaloa said.
Full story >>

Viral fever epidemic affects over 100,000 in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 19:08 GMT]
The mosquito borne viral disease Chikungunya currently sweeping across Jaffna peninsula is believed to have affected more than 100,000 civilians, according to a preliminary survey A.Ketheeswaran, Director of Public Health Services, Northern Region has reported.
Full story >>

SLA attacks LTTE medics transport, 5 killed, "cowardly act," says LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 11:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army troopers attacked a convoy of wounded LTTE cadres transported by the LTTE medics from Vaharai to LTTE controlled Karadiyanaru for medical treatment via sea route Wednesday night around 10:30 p.m. SLA sources said 5 Tigers were killed and a wounded Sri Lanka Army soldier, K.M.S. Ratnayake, who was in the LTTE custody since 08 October and being transported by the Tiger medics, was captured. Meanwhile, LTTE's Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said the SLA has attacked an unarmed medical transport and described the attack, a "cowardly act."
Full story >>

Police restricts parking in Jaffna town

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2006, 00:45 GMT]
Jaffna police issued a directive in Jaffna Wednesday that barred drivers from parking their vehicles in the central area of Jaffna town, except in seven places demarked for parking. Vehicles violating the directive will be confiscated, the Police warned.
Full story >>