Pararajasingham protests over new abductions

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham TULF MP for Batticaloa district protested against the abduction of Tamil youth in Batticaloa by unidentified members of the Sri Lankan security forces and Tamil paramilitary groups in a fax to the Deputy Minister for Defence Mr. Anuruddha Ratwatte.
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SLA patrol fires on civilians

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A woman and her one year old child were wounded today when an army route patrol from the Peythalai SLA camp fired indiscriminately along the road in the village of Peythalai near Valaichenai, 30 kilometers north of Batticaloa.
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Youth 'disappears' in SLA custody

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A youth from the refugee camp in nearby Vinayakapuram who was arrested by the Sri Lankan army from the Kiran bridge camp on Jan.31,while on his way to collect firewood has gone missing say his parents.
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Blast near Batticaloa checkpoint

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A bomb concealed in the cross-bar of a bicycle exploded today near a Sri Lankan police check point in Kaluwanchikkudy, about thirty kilometres south of Batticaloa town.
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Valaichenai shelling kills one

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A man was killed on the spot and his four year old daughter was seriously wounded last night around 7.30 p.m. when the Valaichenai Police fired shells into the Puthukkudiyiruppu village.
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Identity cards confiscated

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
150 civilians were arrested last evening around 4 p.m. in Thuraineelavanai, 30 kilometers south of Batticaloa, by the Special Task Force (STF). All were taken to the STF camp in Karaitheevu in the Amparai district, about 14 kilometers further south of Thuraineelavanai.
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Kilinochchi battle continues

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers radio said in its night broadcast 9 p.m. (15.00 GMT) that there was fighting with the SLA today when Sri Lankan army troops tried to advance into areas recently captured by the LTTE.
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Suicide bomber caused blast - police

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Contrary to initial reports, the explosion in Slave Island in downtown Colombo this afternoon was caused by a woman suicide bomber said Sri Lankan police.
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Civilians assaulted in retaliation

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A member of the PLOTE working with the army at Chenkalady, 16 kilometers north of Batticaloa, was killed when a suspected member of the Liberation Tigers lobbed a grenade into a sentry point this afternoon around 3.45 p.m. said sources in Batticaloa.
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Shelling cancels Batticaloa ceremony

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The hosting of the Sri Lankan national flag and independence day ceremonies which were about to take place this morning at 8.30 a.m. (02.30 GMT) in Batticoloa Kachcheri were cancelled as Liberation Tigers fired shells which fell at the venue.
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Tigers consolidate captured areas - radio

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in its morning news bulletin that the Liberation Tigers are consolidating the areas captured by them in Kilnochchi and its surroundings.
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Six hurt in shelling exchange

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Three civilians and three security personnel were injured in shelling and counter shelling which rocked Valaichenai this morning around 6.00 a.m.
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Shelling wounds more civilians

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Nine more civilians were injured by Sri Lankan security forces counter fire in the Batticaloa district today. Four people were injured when Sri Lankan Police fired shells indiscriminately into civilian areas around 12.30 in the afternoon, after a police constable was injured when the Liberation Tigers attacked the Valaichenai Police camp a short while earlier.
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Civilians visit captured town

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRC) sources said this evening that the Liberation Tigers had allowed civilians to visit some parts of the Kilinochchi town which had come under their control. Some of them (the civilians) had gone there to assist the LTTE remove some military hardware they said.
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Children injured in grenade blast

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two children in Kalkudah, 32 km north of Batticaloa were injured when a grenade they were playing with exploded. David Jayaseelan (12) and his brother David Varatharajan (11) had discovered the grenade in their garden. Jayaseelan is warded at Batticaloa hospital, while Varathrajan has been admitted to Valaichenai hospital.
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Doubts over SLA claims

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Tamil Eelam Radio, the commercial broadcast of the Voice of Tigers, said in its evening broadcast today that the fighting in the Paranthan Kilinochchi area continues to rage for the second day. Hence, no clear details of the battle are available as yet it said. The Radio said that the SLAF is continuing with retaliatory strikes against civilian targets in the Vanni today.
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7 civilians shot dead by police

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Seven civilians were shot dead by the Sri Lankan Police in Thampalakamam, in Trincomalee this morning around 6.00 a.m. in retaliation to an attack by the Liberation Tigers on some police force in the area last night.
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Heavy fighting continues at Paranthan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Latest reports from Sri Lankan Army sources said that heavy fighting continues in the Pranthan sector. Contrary to earlier reports, government troops have not regained control of the southern sector of the Paranthan base.
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LTTE says Kilinochchi assault continues

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VOT) said in their night broadcast today that the attack on Kilinochchi continues. The Tigers, according to the VOT, had launched a heavy artillery barrage on the Kilinochchi-Paranthan base.
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Parents of Tigers assaulted

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The STF cordoned off Thalankudah, about 9 kilometers south of Batticaloa, yesterday and herded the villagers to the local catholic church. Here, about ten families were singled out with the assistance of Sinnavan, a TELO cadre working in the STF camp at the Manmunai ferry 3 kilometers to west of Thalankudah.
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