Uncertainty over journalists' arrests

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Officials from the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID), of the Sri Lankan Police have said that the two Tamil journalists who were recently taken into custody were arrested for reasons not related to their work, said sources.
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Tension ahead of Black July anniversary

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Security has been tightened in the northern town of Jaffna with increased search operations being carried out by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), as the 15th anniversary of 'Black July' approaches said sources in Jaffna. Road checks by the SLA have also been increased during the last few days, they added.
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Doubts over cause of death

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) handed over the body of Michal Pillai Robert Wellington, 33, to the Manthikai hospital yesterday around 1.30 p.m., said sources in Jaffna. He had been shot in the chest and head, they said.
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Bomb defused at telephone exchange

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A bomb discovered at the Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) sub- exchange at Kaluwanchikudy, 18 km south of Batticaloa, this morning, was defused by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), said sources in Batticaloa.
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Funny behaviour punished

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
It was summery justice at the hands of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for a young man of Oorelu, Jaffna, who had made advances to a woman of the area, said sources in Jaffna.
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Woman dies after labour

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A woman who was being taken to hospital with labour pain was stopped on the way by Sri Lankan Army personnel manning a check post in Aanaikottai in Jaffna and was forced to give birth at a house close to the check post, said sources in Jaffna.
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Police check Jaffna videos

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The police have imposed new regulations on the sending of video cassettes out of Jaffna, one of the few items still allowed to be airmailed out of Jaffna to other parts of Sri Lanka.
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SLA officer killed

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A Sri Lankan Army (SLA) Major was killed and a soldier was wounded in a claymore mine
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Search operation in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Sri Lankan Army (SLA) has cordoned off and launched a house to house search operation in the Jaffna Town from 7.00 a.m. today, according to sources there.
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News Briefs from Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Army opens fire to disperse gang fight, SLA's search operation following explosions, mines continue to injure cattle and mother gives birth on a boat.
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War zone postings fail to enthuse

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Many unemployed graduates from Batticaloa who had staged protests, including a fast to death last week, in order secure employment as graduate teachers, are refusing to serve in schools in the outlying areas in the Batticaloa District, said sources in Batticaloa.
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Dogs flourish amid war

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Its a dog's life for the Batticaloa public, which has to contend with an estimated 25,000 stray dogs in the District. Around 10,000 of these haunt Batticaloa town, said sources in Batticaloa. The main reason for the explosion in the population of stray canines in the area is that the two usual methods of eliminating them - shooting and poisoning - can no longer be practised in Batticaloa.
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Medical unit missing

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
One of the three mobile emergency surgery units donated by the US military to the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) has been reported missing said defence officials. Military intelligence and officials attached to the Ministry of health have launched an investigation, they added.
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Four arrested in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Four persons were arrested by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) at the Mutthirai Chanthi (junction) in Nallur in Jaffna on Tuesday around 7:00 a.m., said sources.
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Rape victim's body found

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
M. Thirunavukarasu, the Mallakam Magistrate, pronounced on Wednesday that Nagalingam Bavany (48) had been murdered in her home, possibly after being raped, said sources in Jaffna.
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Police raid nets suicide kits - paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The police Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) yesterday, raided a grocery store in Kochchikade, Colombo, and found a cache of three suicide kits, each containing plastic explosives, four batteries and a detonator reported the state run Daily News today.
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PLOTE leader blames Tigers

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Leader of the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), Mr. T. Siddarthan, blamed the Liberation Tigers for the killing of group's parliamentarian for the Vavuniya district, Mr. Saravanapavananthan Shanmuganathan, 36, yesterday.
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Investigation demanded

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Tamil political parties and human rights groups have urged the Sri Lankan government to excavate the alleged mass graves in Chemmani in Jaffna in the presence of representatives of the public where between 300 and 400 Tamils are believed to have been buried.
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Journalist arrested

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
At around 8.30 p.m. today, Mr. Gajan, a journalist with the 'Veerakesari', the Tamil daily with largest circulation in the island, was taken from the paper's offices for interrogation by officials from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Colombo.
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Eight killed in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Army (SLA) handed over the bodies of four fishermen with gunshot injuries to the Valaichchenai hospital, 32 km. north of Batticaloa, said ex-militant sources in Europe when contacted by TamilNet. The bodies had recovered by the SLA from the Kinnaiyadi lagoon Sunday morning, they said.
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