Vanni artillery battles continue

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Heavy mortar and artillery duels are being fought in the general area of Mankulam from 9 p.m. last night said sources in Vavuniya today. The army launched a fresh heavy artillery and mortar barrage from its positions to the east and south of the strategic junction on the Vavuniya-Jaffna highway. This began late last night after a lull in fighting during the day.
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Suicide after long detention

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A 35 year old man who became chronically ill after spending 18 months in the Vavuniya transit camp committed suicide last Thursday, frustrated that he could not find work due to his condition which had persisted even after his release.
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Time bomb injures PLOTE cadre

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A timed explosive devise went off around 12 this noon in a tree under which the PLOTE has a forward sentry point at Vavunathivu, five kilometers north west of Batticaloa town, injuring a PLOTE cadre identified as Tharmalingam Asokan, 21 of Vavuniya. The PLOTE maintains a sentry point ahead of the army's last checkpoint near the Vavunathivu main camp.
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Tigers, SLA exchange artillery fire - VoT

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said this evening that from early morning yesterday till evening, the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan Army had exchanged artillery and mortar fire in the Mankulam area. Kfir aircraft of the SLAF also bombed civilian areas in the Mankulam area, the radio said.
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Sick detainee released on bail

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Additional Magistrate Mallakam, T. Ariyanayagam, released Selliah Navamany, 60, on a 5000Rs (USD 80) bail yesterday. Navamany who is ill and had been receiving treatment at the Jaffna hospital, had been arrested by the SLA for allegedly being in possession of a 'suspicious looking' diagram and had been scheduled to be transferred from the Jaffna prison to the Anuradhapura prison said legal sources in Jaffna.
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For want of a leave form

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A shortage of goods, except perhaps military hardware, is not unnatural at times of war. However, one item which is much sought after in Jaffna today, is not usually among items which are scarce at times of strife. A simple piece of paper, the leave form, has a become a rare commodity in Sri Lankan government offices, eagerly sought after by aspiring leave-takers.
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Fresh SLA thrust towards Mankulam

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The SLA said that the troops of Operation Jayasikurui have begun a fresh thrust towards Mankulam from their current positions east, west and south of the strategic junction on the highway to Jaffna from Vavuniya.
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Soldier injured by friendly fire

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A SLA soldier was injured by friendly fire, in the Vavunatheevu main camp, 5 km northwest of Batticaloa by the western shore of the Batticaloa lagoon, when it was hit by mortar shells fired from one of its satellite camps 1 km to the east at about 11.30 a.m. this morning, said sources in Batticaloa.
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Time bomb defused in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) defused a time bomb placed on the road about 25 feet from the police station at Kalladi, near Batticaloa town around 3.15 p.m. today, said sources in Batticaloa.
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Home guard killed at Welikanda

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers attacked a group of Sri Lankan Army and home guards this morning around 6.30 a.m. in Manikkampitti near Welikanda, 70 kilometers northwest of Batticaloa near the Polannaruwa Batticaloa district border killing one homeguard and wounding three soldiers and two homeguards.
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Navy positions attacked at Kilaly

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Tamil Eelam Vaanoli, the commercial broadcast of the Voice of Tigers said this evening that the Sea Tigers of the Liberation Tigers had attacked the Sri Lankan Navy's (SLN) positions in Kilaly in Jaffna in the early hours of the morning today.
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Tamil groups restricted to one office each

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Top brass of the Sri Lankan army (SLA) have warned Tamil groups which hold power in the Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) that only one branch office will be allowed to function in the JMC area and anything in excess of one will forced to close, said sources in Jaffna.
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Tigers hand over 16 SLA bodies

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in the Vanni today, 16 bodies of Sri Lankan Army (SLA) personnel killed at Olumadu yesterday, said ICRC sources in Colombo.
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Fishing ban affects more families

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Over 200 families from Killali and Pulopalai, two Grama Seveka areas coming under the Palai Divisional Secretariat, which have traditionally relied on lagoon fishing to make a living, are severely affected by the Sri Lankan Army ban on fishing in the lagoon, said sources in Palai.
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Government woos deserters again

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A meeting was held at the Galewella Madhya Maha Vidyalaya recently to discuss plans to persuade Sri Lankan Army (SLA) deserters from the Galewella Divisional Secretary's area to rejoin the security forces. Galewela town is on the high way from Colombo to Polannaruwa through Dambulla.
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Shell kills SLA officer

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
One Sri Lankan officer was killed and four other soldiers were wounded when the Liberation Tigers directed mortar fire on the SLA positions near Olumadu, 3 km east of Mankulam, today.
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Heavy SLA casualties near Mankulam - Radio

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
More than fifty SLA troops were killed and a large quantity of weapons and several bodies of soldiers were captured this morning when the Liberation Tigers stalled the attempt by the forces of Operation Jayasikurui to advance from their positions east of Mankulam in the Karuppattamurippu-Olumadu area, according to a news flash in the Thamil Eelam Vaanoli, the commercial service of the Voice of Tigers.
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Heavy resistance from Tigers - SLA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Sri Lankan security forces sources in Vavuniya said this evening that eight SLA soldiers were killed and sixty were wounded in heavy artillery counter fire from the positions of the Liberation Tigers in Mankulam this afternoon.
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SLA advance repulsed - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers announced today in the Vanni that they stopped the advance of the SLA this morning from its positions in Karuppattamurippu four kilometers east of Mankulam towards the strategic junction of Mankulam, capturing arms and ammunition and twenty bodies of SLA soldiers who were killed in this fighting today.
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SLA fails to capture Mankulam town

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
SLA lost the final phase of the assault to capture the strategic Mankulam town early this morning said army sources in Vavuniya.
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