More troops sent to Vanni

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 December 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Sources in Vavuniya said today that a large number of troops are being sent to the 'Jayasikurui' front from last week. They were, however, not able to ascertain whether the induction of soldiers is connected to the major operation to achieve the link up between the troops of Operation Jayasikurui and the SLA base in Kilinochchi before February 4, 1998, the fiftieth anniversary of Sri Lanka's independence.
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Elephants rampage through village

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 December 1997, 23:59 GMT]
A large herd of wild elephants wreaked havoc in the Ottisuddan area, destroying crops and farmers' huts, while trying to retrieve a baby elephant that had fallen into a well.
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Fighting was at close quarters - MoD

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 December 1997, 23:59 GMT]
A communique put out by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense in Colombo tonight (another had been put out at 10.30 a.m.) confirmed doubts cast by informed sources in Vavuniya on the veracity of claims which emanated this morning from certain sections of the military establishment in Colombo, namely that SLA troops who were attacked yesterday by the Liberation Tigers had earlier destroyed an LTTE base along with two 120 mm mortars that had been there.
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Villages empty under artillery fire - Radio

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 December 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers said in its news broadcast tonight that the Jayasikurui troops have maintained a heavy barrage towards several areas west of the Kandy road (A9) since early this morning.
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Seven SLA soldiers killed - paper

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Eelanatham newspaper, the only daily published in the Vanni said yesterday in its lead story that seven SLA soldiers were killed in the Vanni on Thursday and Friday.
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Police fire hits Vavuniya civilians

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
One child was killed and two others were wounded when Sri Lankan police opened fire indiscriminately in a suburb of Vavuniya town at around 6.00pm today. The incident occurred at the Madasami Koiladi in Vairavapuliyankulam.
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SLAF helicopter crashes

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
A Sri Lankan Air Force helicopter crashed today, killing 4 crewmen, according to military officials. The aircraft came down close Puliyankulam, where Liberation Tigers and Sri Lankan troops are fighting for control of a strategic highway they said.
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SLAF chopper: fireball seen

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The SLAF which crashed early this morning may have been shot down, according tosources close to the army in Vavuniya. Sri Lankan soldiers report seeing afireball in the sky said the sources.
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Vavuniya SLA searches for deserters

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan army cordoned off and searched the suburbs of Vavuniya around the town's railway station in the early hours of the morning yesterday. The army searched Katkuly and Vairavapuliyankulam for more than two hours.
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Puliyankulam, Mankulam not captured: SLA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
SLA spokesman Brigadier. Sarath Munasighe said he had not received any reports about the capture of either Puliyankulam or Mankulam while answering questions by journalists this morning at the weekly cabinet press briefing which began about 10.30 a.m. at Sri Lanka's parliament complex.
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News In Brief:

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Four Sri Lankan army officers were arrested in Colombo and an army informant was shot dead Vavuniya.
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LTTE stems 'Jaya Sikirui'

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The third phase of Operation Jayasikurui is still on square one after six days of this massive multi pronged offensive by the Sri Lankan army to cover more miles on the large swath of jungle terrain which lies between its positions between Kilinochchi and Karippatta Murippu.
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Heavy fighting near Puliyankulam

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Amidst claims by the Sri Lankan army that the strategic Puliyankulam junction was captured in a surprise commando attack in the early hours of the morning on Saturday Nov. 15, the Voice of Tiger (VOT) broadcast in the Vanni this morning only spoke of reports that the army is making concerted efforts to take the centre of the Puliyankulam town.
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MoD claims highway gains

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) put out a communiqué this afternoon on the third phase of Operation Jayasikurui. It was, however, silent on unconfirmed reports of the capture of Puliyankulam on Saturday.
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Battle for Puliyankulam continues

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VOT) radio said today in its daily news bulletin, broadcast at 9 clock local time (1700 GMT) that heavy fighting had broken out between the Liberation Tigers and the Sri lankan Army yesterday, when the SLA attempted to move out of it positions in Kilinochchi.
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Heavy shelling amid claims of resumed offensive

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The SLA announced officially this evening that it has begun the third phase of Operation Jaya Sikirui in the Vanni. However, the LTTE said there had been no advance.
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ICRC receive 4 Tiger bodies

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan army handed over through the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society the bodies of four Tigers who had been killed in two separate incidents to the LTTE yesterday.
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Victory less assured

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan military's largest military operation is 6 months old today. The much vaunted Operation 'Jaya Sikirui' ('Victory Assured' in Sinhalese) was launched on 13 May 1997, with the stated aim of opening a supply route to the SLA's Jaffna garrison, isolated by a broad swath of LTTE held territory. However things are not going as planned.
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SLA patrol ambushed - Radio

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers broadcast in the Vanni said this morning that an attack group of the LTTE ambushed route clearing patrol of the Sri Lankan army around noon yesterday in north Trincomalee, between Pulmoddai and the 13th mile post.
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Tigers kill six SLA troops

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers ambushed a Sri Lankan army patrol on the Mannar - Vavuniya road today killing six soldiers and wounding seven according to initial reports from Vavuniya.
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