3 youths killed, another injured in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 October 2006, 13:07 GMT]
Three youths were killed and another injured when armed men stopped the auto-rikshaw in when they were travelling in and opened fire. The incident occured at Samalankulam in Vavuniya, around 1 p.m., Saturday, police said.
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29 reported missing in Colombo - Civil Monitoring Committee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 October 2006, 08:33 GMT]
The Civil Monitoring Committee (CMC), formed recently in Colombo by involved Tamil and Sinhala politicians, to monitor extra judicial killings, abductions and disappearances, based on the records registered so far, reported Friday that 29 persons were still missing in Colombo. Six persons were reported killed. Eight persons were released, according to the list compiled from the details become public and from the people who are willing to talk.
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SLAF Kfir jets drop 48 bombs on Vanni

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 October 2006, 18:48 GMT]
Six Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir bombers, in one of the biggest bombing raids in the heart of Vanni, dropped at least 48 bombs in two sorties on Muttayankattu village in Mullaithivu district, Friday between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m., Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) officials in Kilinochchi said. Muttayankattu is located 10 km southeast of Puthukudiyiruppu.
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LTTE hands over 74 SLA bodies to ICRC

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 October 2006, 03:07 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) handed over 74 bodies of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in black body bags to ICRC Thursday evening in Kilinochchi. Another soldier's body was brought to Kilinochchi Thursday evening. More than fifty bodies of SLA soldiers are strewn around in the battlefield in unidentifiable state, according to LTTE officials. 133 SLA soldiers were killed in action or reported missing according to the official figures released by the Sri Lankan defence ministry media co-ordinating centre Thursday. More than 200 SLA soldiers were killed when LTTE defense formations under Special Commander Col. Theepan defeated the SLA forces Wednesday, LTTE officials claimed.
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Tamil media subjected to intimidation, says Press Group

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 October 2006, 00:05 GMT]
Tamil media persons and Tamil media institutions in Sri Lanka have been subjected to intimidation and harassment said an International Press Delegation in its press briefing at Galle Face Hotel Wednesday at the conclusion of the International Mission's three-day visit to Colombo, sources in Colombo said.
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Co-chairs must act to stop war- Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 October 2006, 18:30 GMT]
"Co-chairs and the International community should go beyond making statements by taking concrete steps to pressure the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to stop waging an aggressive war and to compel the GoSL to engage in meaningful talks with the Liberation Tigers," said Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, at a press meet held Thursday morning in Colombo Renuka Hotel, TNA sources in Colombo said.
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"Cease violence, foster a conducive environment for talks," US urges GoSL, LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 October 2006, 11:43 GMT]
The United States is deeply concerned that ongoing violence in Sri Lanka is putting the agreement to return to talks in Geneva in October 28-29 at risk, the US Embassy in Colombo said in a press release issued on Wednesday. "We call on both sides to cease hostilities immediately and foster an environment that is conducive to holding productive discussions in Geneva," the statement said.
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Abducted mill worker shot dead in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 October 2006, 09:54 GMT]
A rice mill employee abducted by unknown gunmen Wednesday around 6.00 p.m at Vinayagapuram in the Valaichenai police division in Batticaloa, was found dead with bullet wounds Thursday morning around 3.00 a.m at 4th Cross street, Kanakipuram in Vinayagapuram, said Valaichenai police.
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UNHCR spotlights Batticaloa IDPs woes

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 October 2006, 09:07 GMT]
UNHCR representative stressed the urgency for providing the basic facilities of displaced people from Pullumalai village in LTTE controlled territory along Chenkaladi-Badulla road in Batticaloa district before the onset of northeast monsoon at a conference held at the Eravur divisional secretariat, sources in Batticaloa said. N.Puvanendran, Divisional Secretary presided.
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Three EPDP cadres shot dead in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 October 2006, 08:31 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot dead three cadres of Eelam People's Democratic Front (EPDP), including the group's principal organizer for the Jaffna islets, at 11:30 a.m. in the central part of Jaffna town Thursday, sources from Jaffna said. One EPDP cadre was injured in the attack. EPDP is a paramilitary group operating with the Sri Lanka Army (SLA). A youth was killed and the owner of a clothing store was injured when Sri Lanka Police opened fire after the killings.
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A.J. Kanagarathna, a pioneer journalist, passes away

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 October 2006, 02:01 GMT]
A long term journalist, previously attached to Saturday Review in Jaffa, A.J. Kanagarathna, 74, passed away in Colombo Wednesday morning.
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Bauer to visit Colombo next week

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 October 2006, 01:26 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Jon Hanssen Bauer is expected to visit Colombo next week to meet government and LTTE leaders to finalize arrangement for the proposed peace talks scheduled for October 28 and 29 in Geneva, Colombo media sources said.
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Tamil youth abducted in Mannar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 October 2006, 15:46 GMT]
Unidentified men Sunday afternoon had abducted a Tamil youth named Simon Godwin Nixon at a place near pubic cemetery in Mannar, according to a complaint lodged with the regional office Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), Mannar Police and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).
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Tamil teacher shot dead by SLA in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 October 2006, 15:13 GMT]
A Tamil graduate teacher was shot dead Wednesday morning around 9:00 a.m. by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers stationed in Kinnaiayadi camp while he was taking class to students. Thirunavukarasu Sivagnaselvam, 32, is a teacher at Saraswathie Vidiyalayam located in Valaichchenai police division in Batticaloa district. He was rushed to the Valaichchenai government hospital but succumbed to injuries.
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LTTE captures SLA soldier, locates 75 dead bodies of Lankan troopers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 October 2006, 13:48 GMT]
LTTE Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan Wednesday evening told media that the Tigers had repulsed the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensive Wednesday. SLA troopers who broke through the LTTE Forward Defence Line (FDL) positions in Kilali and Muhamalai were defeated, leaving around 75 dead bodies of Sri Lankan soldiers inside the LTTE territory in Kilali. A soldier was captured alive by the Tigers, he said. Three tanks were damaged and one destroyed, according to LTTE military spokesman. Meanwhile, SLA sources in Colombo claimed 35 were killed and more than 300 wounded in the Sri Lankan offensive.
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Vessel leaves Trinco taking stranded passengers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 October 2006, 11:24 GMT]
About five hundred stranded Tamil civilians in Vavuniya Wednesday left from Trincomalee port by a vessel "Sakthi" chartered by the Sri Lanka security forces. The civilians were brought to Trincomalee from Vavuniya by several buses Tuesday evening and they spent Tuesday night on board the vessel, port sources said.
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Sri Lanka launches offensive in Jaffna, curfew imposed in Thenmaradchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 October 2006, 04:16 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army has launched ground troop-movement into Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam controlled territory with heavy artillery and MBRL rocket fire since 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, LTTE Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan told media. Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) was notified by the LTTE on the Sri Lankan offensive, LTTE officials at the Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi said. The offensive, shattering peace hopes, comes few hours after an official announcement by Norway that parties had agreed to meet in Switzerland from 28 to 29 October.
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Youth's body, weapons found in Eravur

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 October 2006, 00:58 GMT]
The body of a Tamil youth alleged to be a member of Liberation Tigers was recovered near Murkodanchenai tank by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) after the SLA sentry points were attacked by LTTE cadres Monday night around 8.00 p.m., Eravur police said.
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Media delegation briefed on the woes of Tamil journalists

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 October 2006, 11:25 GMT]
The delegates of International media, who arrived in Colombo on Monday on a fact finding mission, to assess the climate of press freedom in Sri Lanka, held a meeting with the representatives from Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA), Free Media Movement (FMM), Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA), Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum (SLMMF) and Federation of Media Employees Trade Union (FMETU ) in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI), sources in Colombo said.
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International Community should ensure SLMM access to FDLs - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 October 2006, 10:19 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan accused Colombo for being the "aggressor" despite the International Community's efforts and the LTTE leadership's assurances in ceasing violence to create conducive environment for talks. Colombo has denied access to truce monitors to the Northern Front where Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has been seen readying for a frontal assault, he told TamilNet after meeting the Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar in Kilinochchi Tuesday.
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