Sinhalese settlers demand evacuation from Somapura

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 August 2006, 06:52 GMT]
Thousands of Sinhalese settlers from the southern sectors of Trincomalee district have demanded safe evacuation from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas, civil sources in Somapura said. The local authorities have contacted the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) to facilitate evacuation from the southern sector where the SLA offensive towards Mavil Aaru was launched. Meanwhile, initial reports reaching from Kiliveddy said Muttur civilians, carrying white flags, have started to reach Kiliveddy area. However, the ICRC coordinator, Davide Vignati, in Colombo has told media that a formal cessation of hostilities for a limited time frame is yet to be established.
Full story >>

Arrangements underway for civilian movement from Muttur - LTTE

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 August 2006, 04:52 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Friday morning said their cadres were making arrangements to safely transport all civilians out of the Muttur town to remote locations as Sri Lanka Army shells continued to hit civilian refuges in the town. The LTTE has urged the ICRC and other humanitarian agencies to enable humanitarian assistance to the displaced people.
Full story >>

SLMC accuses SL Army of shelling Muttur civilians

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 August 2006, 00:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s largest Muslim party Thursday accused Sri Lankan security forces of shelling Muslim civilians in embattled Muttur town, killing dozens of people and wounding scores more. As Sri Lanka’s military blamed the Tamil Tigers, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader, Rauf Hakeem told AFP: “the people were killed in attacks carried out by the security forces.”
Full story >>

Bystanders during attack on SLA, remanded

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 August 2006, 00:12 GMT]
Two men who were brought before the Mallakam Magistrate's Courts Thursday, bearing serious wounds, are innocent civilians, according to legal sources. S Jayakumar, 40, and Thuraisingam Rameshkumar, 22, were arrested following an attack against Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in Chunnakam, Wednesday.
Full story >>

Electricity, telephone service to Muttur cut off

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 August 2006, 17:44 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government has cut off the supply of electricity to Muttur town and other villages in the Muttur division from Tuesday since the fighting broke out between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). From Thursday noon telephone service to Muttur town has also been cut off, Muttur civilians arrived in Trincomalee Thursday evening with injured civilians said. Telephone communications were severed after the artillery attack on Muttur Arabic College and Thoppur Al-Noor Mahavidiyalayam where twenty two Muslim civilians who sought refuge were killed, and sixty nine injured, sources there said.
Full story >>

Wounded civilians transferred, 1 hour cessation of hostilities observed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 August 2006, 14:28 GMT]
Sri Lankan armed forces and Liberation Tigers in Muttur observed one hour cessation of hostilties to enable humanitarian organisations to transfer wounded civilians and policemen from Muttur area Thursday evening, NGO sources said. Sixty nine Muslim civilians among the refugees sought asylum injured in two artillery attacks which hit Muttur Arabic College and Thoppur Al-Noor Mahavidiyalayam in Muttur division Thursday afternoon were admitted to the Trincomalee general hospital Thursday evening. They were brought to navy gun boat to the Trincomalee civilian jetty from Muttur jetty, civil sources said.
Full story >>

SLA artillery fire kills further 12 Muslim civilians in school refuge

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 August 2006, 13:20 GMT]
Twelve Muslim villagers in Al Nuriah Muslim school in Thoppur were killed Thursday evening when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells hit the school, civilian sources in Thoppur said. At least five persons were wounded. Meanwhile, Police sources in Trincomalee said the policemen entrapped in Muttur town were evacuated to Trincomalee. One policeman was killed and fourteen policemen were wounded, according to initial reports.
Full story >>

Tigers discuss humanitarian measures in Muttur

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 August 2006, 11:32 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Trincomalee District Political Head S. Elilan and the LTTE's Liason officer for UN and NGO affairs, were engaged in discussions related to the urgent humanitarian measures necessary to address the needs of the civilian population that has taken refuge in Mosques and Churches in large numbers in Muttur area that has largely come under the control of the LTTE, according to the Tiger Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan. Mr. Ilanthirayan said the SL forces attempt to land in Muttur jetty was thwarted and forty SLA troopers were killed Thursday.
Full story >>

Explosion injures Mannar civilian

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 August 2006, 11:28 GMT]
Unidentified assailants lobbed explosives, suspected to be dynamite, at the house of Mr.Ignatius, driver employed by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Mannar Thursday early morning around 12.30 a.m. located along Moor Street in Mannar town. Diluxan, son of Mr.Ignatius, was injured in the explosion. Sources said.
Full story >>

SLAF airstrike injures 2 civilians in Kaddaikkadu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 August 2006, 10:45 GMT]
Two civilians were injured when Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) jets dropped bombs near a church in Kaddaikkkadu in Vadamaradchy east, where large number of people were taking part in the annual church festival, around 1:30 p.m., Thursday. Kaddaikkkadu is about 40 k.m. southeast of Jaffna, along the eastern coast of the peninsula. A Refugee Camp for Tsunami Victims with 215 families is situated 150 meters away from the scene of the aerial attack.
Full story >>

SLA artillery fire kills 10 Muslim civilians, 40 wounded

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 August 2006, 07:41 GMT]
At least ten Muslim civilians who sought refuge in Arabic College in Muttur town were killed when an SLA fired artillery shell hit the college Thursday around noon. About nine thousand Muslim civilians, men, women and children have sought refuge in the Arabic College and mosques in Muttur town since the fighting between SLA and LTTE broke out in Muttur Tuesday night, civil sources said. Heavy fighting is continuing between SLA and LTTE in the jetty area.
Full story >>

SLA fires on Ambulance, 3 Tamils killed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 August 2006, 06:56 GMT]
Sri Lankan troopers in Seruvila opened fire on an ambulance of the Muttur district hospital, transferring patients to Trincomalee general hospital, through Allai-Kantalai Road, Wednesday. Two Tamil civilians were killed on the spot. The driver of the ambulance who was critically wounded in the shooting succumbed to injuries while being taken to the Colombo general hospital. Sri Lankan Police on Thursday said the ambulance was caught up in a "cross-fire."
Full story >>

Claymore attack, artillery fire in Mannar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 August 2006, 05:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery fire from Thallady and Uyilankulam camps towards Parappankandal, 16 km southeast of Mannar town, after two SLA troopers were wounded in a Claymore attack around 6:45 a.m. Thursday. SLA troopers exchanged gunfire with the ambush-men and launched mortar and artillery fire. One civilian was wounded in artillery fire in Parappankandal. More than a 100 families from SLA controlled areas moved into the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled territories following indiscrimate artillery fire.
Full story >>

"Hundreds of Tigers" in Muttur - residents

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 August 2006, 19:18 GMT]
Intense fighting is underway in Muttur in Trincomalee district as hundreds of heavily armed LTTE cadres who have taken control of the town centre laid siege to four Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps on its periphery, residents said Wednesday evening. An effort by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) to land reinforcements on Muttur jetty was routed by LTTE fighters battling SLN troops at one end, reports said. Sri Lanka’s military insisted however that the Army was in control of the town and that the ‘desperate’ LTTE was retreating before its counter-attack.
Full story >>

Norway urges ‘cessation of hostilities’ and return to prior positions

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 August 2006, 17:32 GMT]
Peace facilitator Norway Wednesday said that the intensive military operations by the LTTE and the government of Sri Lanka had resulted in ‘deadlock’ and could easily escalate the armed conflict. The first statement issued by Oslo comes one week after Sri Lanka’s military began to advance into LTTE controlled areas and on the day the LTTE launched a major counter-offensive. It calls on both sides cease hostilities and withdraw to their prior positions. Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer is to make a pre-scheduled visit to Sri Lanka Thursday despite the outbreak of hostilities, International Development Erik Solheim said.


Full story >>

Muttur hospital closed down due to artillery fire

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 August 2006, 11:59 GMT]
Muttur district government hospital has been closed down as its maternity ward was hit by artillery fire, Wednesday afternoon. Medical officers, nurses, attendants and health workers fled from the hospital seeking safety, sources in Muttur said. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Navy stationed in Trincomalee base stepped up its artillery and mortar fire towards Muttur east villages, from 4 p.m, Wednesday. The Tigers also reported to have fired artillery shells towards the SLN base in Trincomalee.
Full story >>

8-year-boy killed in mortar fire in Muttur church, 3 wounded

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 August 2006, 10:36 GMT]
An 8-year-old boy was killed on the spot and 3 women were wounded in Muttur town when an artillery fell inside the premises of St. Anthony's Church where more than 600 Tamils have taken refuge since the fighting broke out between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last night. The wounded women, unable to be taken to hospital, were being treated at the church as the fighting resumed after a brief lull, civilian sources said.
Full story >>

LTTE says operations ‘to defend civilians’

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 August 2006, 06:53 GMT]
The LTTE said Wednesday that its recent military activities in Trincomalee, including the operation against Sri Lankan military camps in the early hours were intended to disrupt Sri Lanka’s indiscriminate onslaught against Tamil civilians. The LTTE’s military spokesman, I. Ilanthirayan, said that amid the indiscriminate bombing and shelling of civilian areas by the Sri Lankan armed forces as part of their offensive in the Mavil Aru region, there was an "urgent humanitarian need" that had compelled what he described as "defensive actions."
Full story >>

Tigers overrun four SLA camps in Trincomalee, enter Muttur

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 August 2006, 02:35 GMT]
Fighting formations of the Liberation Tigers have overrun four key locations in Trincomalee district after fierce artillery shelling since 2:00 a.m. Wednesday. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps in Kaddaiparichchan, Palathoppu, Pachchanoor and Mahindapura have been overrun, civilian sources said. Heavily armed LTTE fighters were seen entering Muttur town. Military sources in Colombo remained tightlipped and declined to comment on the ground situation. Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir jets continued to bomb LTTE controlled Sampoor area. Fierce fighting is also reported near Kallaru where attempt by SLA forces to capture the Mavil Aaru sluice gates was averted, according to initial reports.
Full story >>

Tamil Americans protest in front of US Capitol

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 August 2006, 09:37 GMT]
More than two hundred American Tamils from Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka held a protest in the West Front park of US Capitol building Monday between 12:00 noon and 4:00 p.m. urging the US Government to take action against Colombo for its war crimes against the Northeast Tamils. The rally also remembered the civilians killed in the Black July 1983 pogrom against Eelam Tamils.
Full story >>