Army orders to close down dispensary

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan army ordered that the government medical dispensary at Amban in Vadamaradchi east should closed from 12 noon today. Residents said that this is the only medical facility available for thousands of civilians in this large southeastern coastal region of Jaffna. The army is not present in this region.
Full story >>

Young woman raped in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A deaf and dumb girl was gang raped by a group of SLA soldiers in Meesaalai west in Jaffna yesterday around 12 noon said Chavakachcheri hospital sources. She was admitted today to the hospital after she had attempted to immolate herself by pouring a barrel of kerosene on her body.
Full story >>

Hawks define UNP constitution

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
If anyone had the slightest doubt that the suggestions for constitutional reform put forward by the United National Party (UNP) were more in the interest of preserving the unity of Sri Lanka than in giving Tamils and Muslims a voice in the management of their own affairs, it was amply confirmed by the very first paragraph of the party's draft proposals, which were released recently.
Full story >>

Eastern province facing isolation

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government has decided to stop the movement of vehicles out of the eastern province from March. 27. No vehicles from the Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara districts will be allowed to proceed beyond specified points on the access roads to the province which are currently in use from this date.
Full story >>

LTTE mortars inflict heavy damage

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
More than hundred and nine SLA soldiers, including officers, have been wounded since the latest phase of Operation Jayasikurui began on Saturday March 14. In the three days of intense fighting more than 22 soldiers have been killed said SLA sources in Vavuniya today. Twenty eight soldiers were wounded last evening and 10 today.
Full story >>

SLA advance stalled - VoT

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in the morning broadcast today that the Liberation Tigers had successfully stalled a 3-pronged attack by the troops of Operation Jaya Sukurui to capture Mankulum yesterday.
Full story >>

Heavy fighting in Olumadu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
11 SLA soldiers have been killed and another 5 reported missing since fresh fighting erupted as troops of Operation Jaya Sukurui attempted to advance in a 3-pronged offensive to capture the strategic Mankulam junction, said army sources in Vavuniya. More than 72 SLA soldiers, including 2 senior officers are injured in the latest fighting, they said.
Full story >>

Massive round up in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
25 people were arrested when the SLA cordoned and searched 8 villages in Batticaloa district in the early hours of the morning today.
Full story >>

55-Division GOC and his deputy injured

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 55-division, his deputy and a Principle Staff Officer (PSO) have been wounded in the ongoing offensive towards Mankulam in the Vanni.
Full story >>

SLA officer killed and 41 injured - VoT

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said in its night broadcast today that one Sri Lankan Army officer was killed and 41, including 2 officers, were wounded this morning in shelling by the Liberation Tigers on troops of Operation Jaya Sukurui, who are fighting to advance toward Mankulam.
Full story >>

Army mounts fresh offensive

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan army restarted Operation Jayasikurui towards Mankulam at the first light of dawn today said government military sources in Vavuniya. According to initial reports from the front, four soldiers were wounded in the P-1, P-2 categories by fire from the positions of the Liberation Tigers in an around Mankulam they said.
Full story >>

Corruption rampant at Sri Lanka Telecom (Jaffna)

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan army in Jaffna has begun an investigation into allegations of corruption and malpractice in the Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), the semi government concern which was formerly the telecommunications department.
Full story >>

Softdrinks for SLA eat 50% of ceremony funds

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Jaffna Municipal council officials said that of the 30000 (483 US$) rupees which was spent on the swearing in ceremony of the Jaffna mayor Mrs. Sarojini Yogeswaran on March 12, 17000 (274 US$) had been spent on canned soft drinks.
Full story >>

Revenge killing by STF?

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A retired government official was shot dead last evening by Special Task Force (STF) commandos of the Sri Lankan Police, at Kaluwanchikudy, south of Batticaloa, for not responding promptly to an order by them to alight from his bicycle. Sources said that it was a revenge killing by the STF.
Full story >>

Passengers turned back at Manammpiddi

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Passengers in buses, lorries and private vehicles who travelled up to Manammpiddi, on the Batticaloa-Polonnaruwa border, in the hope that the negotiations that Ports Minister M.H.M. Ashraff had with Sri Lanka Government authorities would have led to the lifting of the travel restriction in and out of the Batticaloa District, were turned back by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) at the border and ordered to return to Batticaloa today.
Full story >>

4 SLA soldiers killed in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Four Sri Lankan Army soldiers were killed and four wounded in a claymore mine attack by the Liberation Tigers on an SLA patrol on the Jaffna-Pt. Pedro road, around 6.30 p.m. today, said army sources in Jaffna.
Full story >>

Complaints fall on deaf ears

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Murugupillai Sreetharan (22), father of three children was beaten up by unidentified armed men when he alighted from a bus at Naaranthanai in Kayts, an island off the Jaffna Peninsula at 11:00 a.m. today, said sources in Kayts.
Full story >>

Candy floss vendor beaten

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A young candy floss vendor was hospitalised after being severely beaten at Sirupiddy SLA checkpoint in Atchuvely, 12 km north of Jaffna town around 4:30 p.m. yesterday by soldiers, who suspected that one of them had been poisoned by the sweet, said sources in Jaffna.
Full story >>

Mohan group members misbehave

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Members of the Mohan Group of the Peoples' Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), which now operates as a para-military organisation of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Batticaloa, have been indulging in drunkenness and misbehaviour at night in the suburbs of Batticaloa for the past two weeks, said sources in Batticaloa.
Full story >>

Transport restrictions hit Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A shortage of necessary consumer items - especially petrol and cooking gas - has affected the Batticaloa consumers following the ban imposed on Wednesday by the Sri Lankan Government on the movement of all vehicles from Batticaloa to other parts of the island, said sources in Batticaloa.
Full story >>