4 NEIAP officials wounded in DPU Claymore attack

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 July 2006, 10:20 GMT]
Three officials of World Bank funded North-East Irrigated Agriculture Project (NEIAP) and the driver of their pickup vehicle, belonging to Mannar District Secretariat, were wounded in a Claymore carried out by the Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) attackers in Kokupadaiyan, 28 km southeast of Mannar town, Thursday around 2:45 p.m. The incident took place on Slivathurai - Mullikulam Road between Kallaru and Kokkupadaiyan, civilian sources said. The officials escaped with minor wounds, medical sources said.
Full story >>

Hartal call withdrawn in Mannar

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 July 2006, 14:24 GMT]
The general shut down planned to be held on Monday in Mannar district protesting against the fishing ban in Pesalai and Pallimunai Sea has been called off following the announcement by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) that the ban would be relaxed immediately, fisheries sources said.
Full story >>

Fishing ban to be relaxed in Pesalai, Pallimunai Sea

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 July 2006, 14:22 GMT]
Officers of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) announced Sunday that the ban imposed on fishing in sea along Pallimunai and Pesalai coastal area is to be relaxed from Monday, July 17. The decision was taken at a conference held Sunday morning Mannar Bishop, Rev Rayappu Joseph's House. The SLN officials also imposed additional conditions the fishermen, civill sources said.
Full story >>

Fishing ban in Vadamaradchy to allow SLN convoy movement

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 July 2006, 16:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) banned fishing in the seaboard of Vadamaradchy from Wednesday to Thursday to facilitate shipping of arms and supplies by sea from Trincomalee to Kankesanthurai, Vadamaradchy fisheries Union officials said. The ban over the two full days enforced by SLN naval guards patrolling the seashores has severely affected the livelihood of fishermen in the area, fishermen said.
Full story >>

Police team records statements of Pesalai victims

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 July 2006, 09:22 GMT]
Twelve member special police team led by an Assistant Superintendent of Police Tuesday commenced recording of statements from refugees present in the Church of Lady of Victories in Pesalai on June 17 when soldiers of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) allegedly fired and threw grenades. In this incident an old woman was killed and about forty others were injured.
Full story >>

Two Tamil youths shot dead in Mannar

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 July 2006, 10:56 GMT]
Two youths were shot dead by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers Monday morning in Mannar district in two separate incidents during a cordon and search operation. One body was found in a paddy field opposite the Nanattan Pradesiya Sabha (PS) office building and the other body at Rasool Puthuveli area, located one and half km off Nanattan, police sources said.
Full story >>

Three SLA troopers injured in Jaffna attacks

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 July 2006, 13:17 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops were injured when unknown gunmen attacked soldiers on street patrol near Methaikadai Junction 400 meters south of Point Pedro town along Jaffna-Point Pedro road at 11:45 a.m. Saturday, sources from Vadamaradchy said. Another SLA soldier was injured in a firefight lasting five minutes between unknown gunmen and SLA troops in Kachchai in Thenmaradchy Saturday afternoon, sources said.
Full story >>

Vankalaipadu SLN commander gives evidence in Pesalai killings

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 July 2006, 13:32 GMT]
Mannar Additional Magistrate Mr.T.J.Pirapaharan Friday ordered the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of Talaimannar Police to record the statement of the Commanding Officer of the Sunny Village Naval Detachment and to produce Lieutenant Commander Rohana Dissanayake of Sunny Village SLN camp on the next date of inquiry. The Additional Magistrate made the above directive at the conclusion of the evidence of Lieutenant Dissanayake Santhana Lakshman Dissanayake, commanding officer of Vankalaipadu Navy camp, legal sources said.
Full story >>

Canadian diplomat visits Mannar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 July 2006, 16:54 GMT]
The Counsellor for Political Affairs in Canadian Embassy in Colombo, Christina Prefontaine, Thursday morning paid an official visit to Mannar and held talks with V.Visuvalingam, the Government Agent at the district secretariat. Mrs. Christina Prefontaine, obtained first hand information in regard to the ground situation prevailing in the district, district secretariat officials said.
Full story >>

Independent report verifies SLN complicity in Pesalai violence

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 July 2006, 15:44 GMT]
In a report filed by a fact finding mission from two Colombo-based NGOs to look at the Pesalai violence of 17 June 2006, the investigators said, "Although in the initial days following the attack the government laid the responsibility for the attacks at the door of the LTTE, the strong report compiled and widely disseminated by the Bishop of Mannar pointed directly to Navy involvement. None of the many we met had the slightest doubt on this issue." The report also details the background to the prevailing ground situation in Mannar, urgent efforts required to prevent escalation of tensions, and provide security to the poor fisher families in Mannar.
Full story >>

SLA arrests youth in Panankatikotu, Mannar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 July 2006, 16:32 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers on street patrol duty in Panankatikotu in Mannar district Saturday morning around 10:00 a.m. arrested a 24 year old Tamil youth Anthony Jeuthadasan and handed over to Mannar Police. The youth was talking in his cell phone in front of his house at the time of arrest, civil sources said.
Full story >>

Tamil youth shot dead in Sirukandal, Mannar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 July 2006, 16:24 GMT]
Unidentified men Saturday morning attacked a group of soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Sirukandal village in Murunkan division in Mannar district. Markandu Parathanathan from Thumpalai, Point-Pedro was killed when SLA retaliated, security sources said.


Full story >>

Muslim fisherman forcibly drowned in Mannar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 July 2006, 09:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy troopers who set out in 3 Dvora Fast Attack Crafts from their Talaimannar base, captured two fishermen in the seas off Karisal, a Muslim coastal village 12 km northwest of Mannar town, around 10:00 a.m. Saturday, and forcibly drowned one of the fishermen. The SLN threw the fisherman overboard even after he pleaded that he cannot swim, according to the fisherman who was forced by the SLN to search for the victim. Two other Muslim fishermen in a separate boat, were arrested by the SLN soldiers, handed over to Vankalaipaadu SLN, and released later. Tension prevails in Karisalpaadu, which is located between Vankalaipadu and Erukkalampiddy.
Full story >>

Daughter shot dead, father seriously injured in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 June 2006, 09:34 GMT]
Suspected Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and EPDP paramilitaries shot and killed Jaffna resident Ms Sathasivam Mathuri, 32, and seriously injured her father Kasipillai Sathasivam, 75, Thursday midnight at 12:17 a.m. at their home in Athiyadi New road, in Athiyady, located 2 km northeast of Jaffna Town, residents said. Sathasivam is the father of a senior Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) commander Archuna, who died in mid 80's in Mannar, and Mathuri is his sister.
Full story >>

SL Navy intelligence officer, gunman killed in Mannar

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 June 2006, 06:18 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Navy Intelligence officer was shot and killed when he was shopping at the bazaar in Mannar around 10:00 a.m., Friday. Sri Lankan troopers who surrounded the area shot the gunman who gunned down the intelligence officer, Police said.
Full story >>

SLA sentry in Mannar attacked, soldier wounded

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 June 2006, 06:13 GMT]
Unidentified men lobbed a grenade at an army sentry located near the office of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) Friday early morning around 5.45 a.m. A soldier, M.Surasena,46, was injured in the attack, police sources said.
Full story >>

Gunmen attack Murunkan circuit court

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 June 2006, 00:16 GMT]
Murunkan circuit court proceedings came to an abrupt end after about fifteen minutes Wednesday morning around 10.15 a.m. when unidentified gunmen fired at the building hiding behind densely grown shrub area at the rear of Murunkan post office building, attorneys attending the court said. Mannar Magistrate Mr.N.M.M.Abdullah who was hearing a case, four attorney-at-laws, and litigants fell to the ground for safety, sources said.
Full story >>

Claymore explosion kills three Mannar civilians

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 June 2006, 18:36 GMT]
Three Tamil civilians were killed in a claymore explosion Wednesday afternoon around 4:00 p.m. while transporting sand in a tractor from Kallaru located in the Liberation Tigers controlled Musali division in Mannar district, civil sources said.


Full story >>

Grenade attack injures one SL Police in Mannar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 June 2006, 18:06 GMT]
One Sri Lanka police constable, Mr.Vithanavasa, was injured when unidentified men lobbed a grenade at the police sentry point located in the premises of Telecommunications station in the heart of Mannar town Tuesday night around 7.15 p.m. In the retaliatory fire by the police two Tamil civilians were injured, civil sources said.
Full story >>

Protest fast held in Pesalai church

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 June 2006, 09:19 GMT]
More than five thousand residents participated in the one day fast organized by the Inter-Religious Forum held Monday in the Church of Our Lady of Victory in Pesalai condemning the killing Tamil civilians sought refuge in the church Tuesday, civil society sources from Mannar said. Netherlands Ambassador in Sri Lanka also paid a visit to the site, sources said.
Full story >>