8 civilians killed in SLA DPU attacks in Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 February 2008, 18:01 GMT]
Eight innocent civilians riding in tractors were killed in two different Claymore attacks carried out by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit teams that had infiltrated into Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled areas on either sides of the A9 road, north of Vavuniyaa on Wednesday. The first attack, in which four civilians were killed, was reported at Panangkaamam in Moon'ru Mu'rippu GS area of Maanthai East division in Mullaiththeevu district at 1:50 p.m. The second attack was reported at 8:30 p.m. in which another four civilians were slain while they were riding in a tractor from Maruthoadai to Olumadu.
Full story >>

3 SLA troops killed, 6 injured in Paalamoaddai - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 February 2008, 16:45 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fighters killed three Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers and injured six in a confrontation at Paalamoaddai in Vavuniya district Wednesday from 11:00 a.m to 11.40 a.m, Vavuniyaa LTTE Operations Command said.
Full story >>

White van armed men abduct 2 youths in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 February 2008, 14:21 GMT]
Unidentified armed men arriving in a white van at a school in Kaithadi in Thenmaraadchi Wednesday around 7:00 a.m forcibly abducted the office assistant of the school in the presence of students, according to a complaint lodged by his wife with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna. In a separate incident, unidentified armed men abducted an auto-rickshaw driver at gun point Wednesday around 9:00 a.m at Aadiyapaatham Veethi in Kokkuvil, Jaffna, the victim's grandfather complained to HRC Jaffna.
Full story >>

Fishing restrictions to remain- SLA commander

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 February 2008, 01:54 GMT]
Major General G.A.Chandrasiri, commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna at a meeting held Monday afternoon within High Security Zone (HSZ) in Palaly addressing the representatives of various civil groups said that until security in seas surrounding the peninsula improves, fishing restrictions in Jaffna will not be lifted, but added that he will take steps to ease travel for the sick to obtain medical treatment in Colombo.
Full story >>

Extortion by SLA suspected in release of Jaffna youths- MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 February 2008, 00:27 GMT]
Family members of 44 youths who were recently allowed to leave Jaffna prison have complained to a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian that they had paid sums of up to Rs.70,000 to brokers acting as intermediaries between the relatives and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) personnel in Jaffna, to obtain the youths' release. Meanwhile, Major. Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, claimed that the youths had confessed to being members of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and had accepted to undergo rehabilitation at the Reformation and Rehabilitation Centre in Thellippa’lai, under SLA supervision.
Full story >>

Ganesan protests Kane's failure to meet Tamil, Muslim party leaders

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 February 2008, 12:31 GMT]
Civil Monitoring Commission Convener and Western People Front leader Mano Ganesan expressed his protest over the failure of United Nation's Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, Ms Angela Kane to meet with Tamil or Muslim party leaders during her week long visit to Sri Lanka. Ganesan said the visit, where she met only Sri Lanka Government officials, opposition party leaders, and the extremist JVP leaders, was a "one-sided affair" and "too political."
Full story >>

LTTE, SLA clash in Jaffna lagoon

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 February 2008, 05:29 GMT]
A clash between Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) erupted Tuesday around 7:45 a.m. in Jaffna lagoon near Kozhumpuththu'rai when SLA troops in their Forward Defence Line positions along the lagoon shore attacked Sea Tiger patrol boats, sources in Jaffna said. LTTE retaliated from their vessels and the fighting lasted for nearly fifteen minutes, the sources said.
Full story >>

Moves afoot to convince reluctant Allaippiddi IDPs to return

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 February 2008, 14:23 GMT]
The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Allaippiddi from the islets of Jaffna who were displaced due to Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) offensives in Allaippiddi in August 2006 and presently staying in Jaffna, are reluctant to return to their villages according to arrangements made by Jaffna Secretariat because fishing, their main means of living, in their areas is banned by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), IDP related welfare organization sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>

Runaway SLA soldier arrested in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 February 2008, 13:40 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier who ran away Friday noon from his camp in Neerveali-Irupaalai area in Valikaamam East was caught two days later, hiding in the shrub jungle in the same area, in an extensive search operation launched by the SLA. The said soldier had run away in protest against the order transferring him to Colombo SLA Head Quarters, SLA authorities told Jaffna Additional Magistrate Mr. Vasanthasenan when he was produced before the magistrate Monday.
Full story >>

Ex-LTTE cadres forced to join TMVP

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 February 2008, 11:24 GMT]
Pillaiyan group Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) members are alleged to be forcing former members of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Batticaloa district who had opted to leave the LTTE and lead a normal life after Sri Lanka Army (SLA) took LTTE area in Paduvaankarai last year, to join the TMVP, sources in Batticaloa said.
Full story >>

SLA cordons, searches Dambulla town areas

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 February 2008, 02:38 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police launched a cordon and search operation Sunday night in Dambulla town and its surroundings. The police said the operation was initiated after the discovery of parcel of explosives near a public telephone booth in the town around 10:00 p.m Sunday night, media sources in Colombo said.
Full story >>

11 SLA killed in Paalaikkuzhi, Mannaar - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 February 2008, 17:45 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Operations Command in Mannaar said Sunday that 11 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and 23 SLA soldiers wounded in a five-hour fighting erupted in Paalaikkuzhi Sunday. The SLA withdrew its forces at 10:00 a.m., the Tigers said.
Full story >>

Tampoe: Sri Lanka is a virtual Police, Military dictatorship

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 February 2008, 16:42 GMT]
Prominent Trade Union leader, Bala Tampoe, says Rajapakse Government falsely states that their military objective is to defeat terrorism. The main objective is to wrest control from the LTTE the areas of North and east. "...[Colombo] can never achieve a proper political settlement till and until they recognise the right of self-determination, which is a democratic right, of the Tamil people and the Muslim people in the North and East, Tampoe says in an interview to Vikalpa, a citizen journalism initiative in Sri Lanka built on the effort pioneered by the Centre for Policy Alternatives, a Colombo-based think-tank.
Full story >>

SLAF air strike victim succumbs to injuries

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 February 2008, 04:32 GMT]
A 68-year-old woman, one of 12 civilians being treated for injuries they sustained in the indiscriminate air attack carried out by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Friday in Kiraagnchi in the Poonakari (Pooneryn) division, succumbed to her injuries Saturday night. Nine civilians, including five women and 3 children, were killed. 11 civilians, including four children are being treated for their injuries.
Full story >>

Jaffna peninsula Demining activities stall

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 February 2008, 02:34 GMT]
Increased frequency in clashes between Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Forward Defence lines (FDL) has resulted in humanitarian demining activities in the peninsula slowing down with the possibility of all related activities coming to a complete halt in the near future, representatives of various Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Jaffna said Saturday.
Full story >>

Details of mine safe areas in Jaffna released

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 February 2008, 00:17 GMT]
The coordinating office for the removal of land mines in Jaffna peninsula, situated in Jaffna secretariat, in a communiqué issued Saturday, said mine clearing activities in areas permitted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is nearing completion and released details concerning the areas cleared of land mines.
Full story >>

Fein challenges SL Ambassador on "right to secession"

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 February 2008, 18:01 GMT]
"A debate between us would enlighten the American people, Congress, and the White House over a question central to the foreign policy of the United States: when should a right to secession from an existing sovereign be recognized? Tamil statehood, which would end a grisly conflict that has killed tens of thousands in Sri Lanka, is too important to be left to sophistry," challenged Bruce Fein in a letter addressed to Sri Lanka's Ambassador to U.S., Bernard Goonetilleke, following the Ambassador's 25th speech in Washington, and 17th February article titled "Tamil homeland fantasy" in Washington Times.
Full story >>

SLA conducts search operation in Ratota, Kandy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 February 2008, 16:12 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police conducted a cordon and search operation in Ratota town in Kandy district Saturday and questioned several Tamil civilians. Police said they launched the operation on the recovery of a bomb weighing 2 kg buried in a home garden.
Full story >>

SLA arrests several Tamils in Mt. Lavinia

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 February 2008, 16:07 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police launched a combined cordon and search operation Saturday in Mount Lavinia and surroundings in Colombo, and took several persons for questioning following the bus explosion that took place in the morning. Majority of the arrested are said to be Tamil civilians working shops and other offices in the locality, media sources said.
Full story >>

3 SLA killed in Vavuniyaa FDL - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 February 2008, 12:54 GMT]
A 3-member-team of a patrol unit of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in no-go zone between the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) and the SLA at Naavatku'lam in Vavuniyaa were killed in an attack carried out by the Tigers Saturday around 10:15 a.m. The SLA is yet to recover the dead bodies of their soldiers lying near their Forward Defence Line, the Tigers said.
Full story >>