Two killed in firefight

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 August 1998, 23:59 GMT]
At least two persons were killed and two injured when the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) clashed with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the Batticaloa -Valaichenai Road at Sittandy, 15 km north of Batticaloa, , around 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, said sources.
Full story >>

Horrors of Kumarapuram told in Court

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Kumarapuram massacre case, where 24 civilians were killed, allegedly by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on February 11, 1996, was taken up at the Magistrate's Court at Muthur, 35 km south of Trincomalee, before Magistrate R. M. Jayawardene on Wednesday, said sources in Trincomalee.
Full story >>

Prayers for peace

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Black flags flew in Batticaloa town and suburbs yesterday to commemorate Black July, the anniversary of the anti-Tamil race riots of 1983, said sources in Batticaloa. Though there were a few incidents where irate policemen tore and destroyed the flags, protests were otherwise peaceful.
Full story >>

Four Tigers died in Jaffna - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said in a press release issued by their International Secretariat in London that four of their fighters died in the attack in Jaffna yesterday morning.
Full story >>

Civilian shot dead

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Mr. Kanthasamy Srikantha, 21, was shot dead by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) during a search operation in Puthukkudiyiruppu, in Valaichenai this morning around 5.30 a.m. said sources in Batticaloa.
Full story >>

Heavy fighting in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers simultaneously attacked Sri Lankan Army and Police posts at Chinnakkadai, Kurunagar jetty and Kolumbuthurai, 2 km southeast of the high security zone of Jaffna Town, around 12.15 Saturday morning, said ex-militant sources when contacted by TamilNet.
Full story >>

Soldiers arrested in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Military Police has arrested two soldiers of the Vadamaradchi Brigade for allegedly killing a civilian, Nicholas Pillai Robert Wellington (33) on Tuessday after detaining him at a checkpoint at Madaththadi, between Nelliyadi and Manthikai, on the Jaffna-Pt. Pedro Road, 23 km from Jaffna, said sources in Jaffna.
Full story >>

Vavuniya MP's funeral held

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The funeral of Vavuniya Parliamentarian, Mr. S.Shanmuganathan (PLOTE), and his son who were killed in a land mine attack on Wednesday was held in the Vavuniya Kovilkulam cremation ground last evening.
Full story >>

Propaganda via Soap Opera

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
If there ever was a television serial crafted to have partisan political appeal, "Yuga Vilakkuwa", telecast over Sri Lanka's state owned Rupavahini, Saturday evenings, fits the bill eminently.
Full story >>

Eight killed in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Army (SLA) handed over the bodies of four fishermen with gunshot injuries to the Valaichchenai hospital, 32 km. north of Batticaloa, said ex-militant sources in Europe when contacted by TamilNet. The bodies had recovered by the SLA from the Kinnaiyadi lagoon Sunday morning, they said.
Full story >>

Mass graves found - paper

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Between 300 and 400 of the 700 civilians who were reported missing soon after the Sri Lankan government forces took control of the Jaffna peninsula three years ago, are buried in the paddy fields surrounding the main road near Chemmani checkpoint said this week's issue of Yukthiya, a Sinhala weekly. The paper has also published a map of the area, marking the location where the bodies are buried.
Full story >>

Shot youth was civilian - Magistrate

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
K. Thiyagarajah, Acting Magistrate, Batticaloa, pronounced that Nallaratnam Yoganathan (22), who was killed in the crossfire between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in an incident on Thursday at Valaichenai, was a civilian, contrary to SLA's claim that he was an member of the LTTE, said ex-militant sources in Europe, quoting legal sources.
Full story >>

Land mines injure 1,800

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Over 1800 civilians have lost a limb due to land mines in Jaffna during the last 6 years, said Lankadeepa, the Sinhala daily with the largest circulation in Sri Lanka today, quoting a survey conducted in connection with the removal of land mines there.
Full story >>

Clearing patrol attacked

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Sri Lankan security forces who were on a routine clearing patrol came under attack
Full story >>

Anniversary of church bombing

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The third anniversary of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombing of St. Peter's Church, Navaly, in Jaffna, in which almost 150 people died and 200 were injured, was commemorated today, said sources in Jaffna.
Full story >>

Tigers attack Police Patrol in Amparai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Six Special Task Force commandos and five home guards were killed when the Liberation Tigers attacked a joint clearing patrol today around 8.30 a.m. in Pulukunavai in the eastern Amparai district, said ex-militant sources in Europe when contacted by TamilNet.
Full story >>

Civilians killed in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two civilians were killed and two wounded when a shell fired by the Special Task Force (STF) from Manmunai, during its operation on June 29, hit a house at Makiladitheevu, 18 km Southwest of Batticaloa, said sources there. Manmunai is 12 km south of Batticaloa.
Full story >>

Colonisation sparks communal passions

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Communal passions flared up when encroachment on state land in Trincomalee was discussed during the Trincomalee District Coordinating Committee meeting at the Trincomalee District Secretariat last morning, said sources at this eastern seaport town.
Full story >>

EPDP leader's condition 'serious'

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The condition of Mr. Douglas Devananda, leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) and Parliamentarian for the Jaffna district, who was attacked by detainees at the Kalutara prison yesterday is said to be serious, said hospital sources.
Full story >>

Massacre suspects charged

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Attorney General, yesterday, filed plaints against 21 suspects in the Thapalakamam massacre, before P. Swarnaraj, Magistrate, Trincomalee, said sources in Trincomalee.
Full story >>