2 SLA troopers killed, 5 wounded in Claymore ambush in Welikanda

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 April 2007, 14:14 GMT]
Gunmen waiting in ambush after penetrating into Sri Lanka Army territory in Welikanda in Batticaloa Polonnaruwa border triggered a Claymore mine and killed two Sri Lanka Army troopers and wounded five Friday around 5:00 p.m. at Thirukonamadu. A SLA tractor transporting sand to fortify bunkers was damaged in the ambush, military sources in Colombo said.
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SLA launches artillery barrage on Vavuniya villages

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 April 2007, 14:03 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army launched artillery barrage on villages Paalamoaddai, Kunchukulam, Navvi, Puliankulam and Semamadu from 6:00 p.m. Saturday.
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Sri Lanka steps up air strikes on Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 April 2007, 13:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) has stepped up bombardment on Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) territory in Mullaitheevu and Kilinochchi districts during the past week. A civilian was wounded Friday, when Sri Lanka Air Force bombers hit Puthukudiyiruppu 9th Division twice Friday. SLAF MiG and Kfir bombers were observed over Kilinochchi Saturday.
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SLA asks court to transfer Chemmani case to Anuradhapura

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 April 2007, 00:42 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander, Wednesday and Thursday filed two petitions in the Sri Lanka's Court of Appeal asking not to allow the inquiry into the Chemmani graveyard massacre and other related Habeas Corpus applications to be held in Jaffna Magistrate's Court and to transfer those cases to Anuradhapura court for further hearing, legal sources in Jaffna said.


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Abducted youth seen at SLA sentry post in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 April 2007, 20:37 GMT]
Relatives of a youth, reported abducted April 13 by four unidentified men on motor cycles from Columbuthurai, saw the youth detained inside a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentry post on Kandy road in Chundukuli, clad in army fatigue, according to complaints made by the youth's parents Friday with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office. The SLA's 51-2 brigade headquarters in Jaffna town, however, told the HRC that they had not detained any such person, when approached by the HRC Friday, Jaffna sources said.


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Respect human rights, resume negotiations, Holy See tells Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 April 2007, 16:27 GMT]
Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, the Vatican Cardinal Secretary of State, held a meeting with the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Friday, after Pope received Mr. Rajapaksa among the audience. Cardinal Secretary of State, conveying the concerns of the Pope, reiterated to Mr. Rajapaksa, the need to respect human rights and resume the path of dialogue and negotiation as the "only way to put an end to the violence," that is bloodying the island of Sri Lanka.
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SLAF UAV reported missing in Kokkilai

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 April 2007, 09:01 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Air Force Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was reported missing when it was on a reconnaissance mission over Kokkilai Friday noon, according to the SLAF sources in Colombo.
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SLA trooper commits suicide in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 April 2007, 07:07 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier, S.Samankumara, 29, attached to 51-4 Brigade shot himself to death at Ariyalai Forward Defense Line (FDL) Wednesday morning, according to military sources in Jaffna.
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National ID identifies Mannar youth in alleged cyanide incident

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 April 2007, 13:05 GMT]
The Tamil youth who allegedly killed himself taking cyanide after being arrested by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on Wednesday in Mannar has been identified by his National Identity Card (NIC) as Vaithilingam Roshan, 27, of Muttur in Trincomalee district. The acting Mannar Magistrate Mr.M.P.Farook who viewed his body at Mannar hospital Thursday afternoon ordered the hospital authorities to keep the body for three days for his relatives to claim, sources said.
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SLA soldiers gun down fellow soldier in Allaippitti

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 April 2007, 10:23 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers at a sentry post in Allaipitti area shot dead Tuesday night a fellow trooper, approaching their sentry post, suspecting the soldier as a Tiger fighter on a recon mission, who failed to respond to their queries, SLA sources said.
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SLA trooper killed, 3 injured in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 April 2007, 06:45 GMT]
Unidentified persons lobbed three hand grenades Wednesday around 8:45 p.m. on a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers posted near a fuel station at Iratperiyakulam in Vavuniya, killing a SLA trooper, injuring two troopers and a home guard, sources in Vavuniya said.
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HRW urges Pope to discuss human rights with Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 April 2007, 08:48 GMT]
The Asia Director of Human Rights Watch, Brad Adams, Tuesday, urged Pope Benedict XVI, to raise the deteriorating human rights crisis in Sri Lanka with Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is visiting Vatican this week. Sri Lankan military and police forces, as well as proxy armed groups, are engaged in serious violations of the laws of war and human rights, reiterated Human Rights Watch in the letter.
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Tamileelam flag on pitch prompts paper’s ire

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 April 2007, 03:26 GMT]
The pitch invasion Monday by a man carrying the Tamileelam flag during the ICC Cricket World Cup Super Eight match between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Grenada National Stadium in St. George's, provoked a furious reaction from a Sri Lankan daily Wednesday. Condemning the action as “a dastardly act,” The Island newspaper’s editorial said: “The LTTE has once again demonstrated its capability to gain access anywhere at will.” Sri Lanka’s top cricket body “must take up the issue with the ICC and the West Indies Cricket without taking it lying down in typical Sri Lankan style,” the editorial fumed.
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Detained youth's family seeks protection at HRC Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 April 2007, 02:10 GMT]
Parents and two younger brothers of a youth detained at Kankesanthurai Special Police detention camp sought protection with Human Rights Commission (HRC) in Jaffna Tuesday. The HRC, however, took steps to place only the 16 year old brother in the protective custody of Jaffna prison. Parents and the other brother of the detained youth had to return home in Kachai, where the youth was arrested by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers Friday.
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Young father abducted in Chunnakam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 April 2007, 18:00 GMT]
Persons believed to be Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers abducted a family man riding in motor bike, in front of Skanthavarothaya College, Chunnakam in Valikamam North region on 10 April, his wife lodged complaint Tuesday at the Jaffna branch of the Human Rights Commission. Her relatives had witnessed her husband being taken away by SLA soldiers, she said in her statement.
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Woman beaten to death in Batticaloa, civilian knocked dead by army vehicle

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 April 2007, 11:23 GMT]
A 22-year-old woman, beaten to death, has been found buried at Paalaiyadiththoni in Santhivelin in Eravur Police division Monday morning. Meanwhile, a pedestrian was killed, knocked down by a speeding Sri Lanka Army (SLA) vehicle along Batticaloa Valiachenai Road at Maavadivaembu Monday. Another civilian was killed in a separate accident on the same road, Eravur Police said.
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Armed men in white van abduct 2 civilians in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 April 2007, 20:39 GMT]
Unidentified armed men came in white van abducted a fisherman from Kolumbuththurai, Jaffna and a family man from Navatkuli in Thenmaradchy, their relatives lodged complaints at the Jaffna branch of the Human Rights Commission (HRC).
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Unidentified aircraft over Jaffna town

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 April 2007, 18:23 GMT]
An unidentified aircraft flew over parts of government-controlled Jaffna just after dusk Monday, residents in the northern peninsula said. The aircraft passed low over Jaffna city centre and parts of Vadaramadchchi North and Valikamam sectors. Sri Lankan troops in some areas doused the lights of their camps as the aircraft approached, fuelling suspicions it was one of those operated by the Tamil Tigers, they said.
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Abducted undergrad released after torture in Chavakachcheri

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 April 2007, 11:22 GMT]
A 23-year-old final year arts faculty student of Jaffna University, abducted by alleged Military Intelligence operatives of the Sri Lanka Army, stationed at Post Office Road in Chavakachchaeri was released Monday after severe torture for three days. The tortured victim, Vijayarajah Vijayarooban, was abducted Friday at a private tuition centre located near the A9 road inside the SLA militarized High Security Zone in Chavakacheri town where he was working as a part time teacher.
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Jaffna residents reluctant to return due to insecurity- Bishop

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 April 2007, 11:02 GMT]
"Of the more than 55,000 residents of Jaffna peninsula who left the peninsula in ships and planes seeking safety and refuge outside the peninsula, nearly 65% of them have not returned because of the escalating number of killings, abductions, forced disappearances, threat to lives, intimidation, harassment and restrictions in the peninsula," Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam said, in a statement to media Sunday, following his participation along with the representatives of the People's Committee for Justice and Peace (PCJP) in meeting with the Jaffna Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander Maj. Gen. Chandrasiri.


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