SLA continue to abandon checkpoints in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The large number of Palmyrah logs piled up as bunkers in many parts of Vadamaradchi are being removed by people for firewood as the Sri Lankan army continues to move out of some of its positions in the Jaffna peninsula.
Full story >>

Amnesty for deserters called off

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan army announced today that the general amnesty that had been granted last month for the large number of deserters will be withdrawn this Friday Oct 25.
Full story >>

Destroyed university awaits repairs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The University of Jaffna has sustained damages amounting to sixty five million Sri Lankan rupees (over one million US dollars) between October 1995 and April 1996 said officials of the university today.
Full story >>

Amnesty for deserters - yet again

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
After threatening to impose dire punishment on deserters who did not rejoin by Friday Oct. 24, the Sri Lankan army decided last evening to extend the amnesty once again to thousands of its men who are still at large in the Sinhala countryside.
Full story >>

UNP plans to disrupt package

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The members of the UNP in the Parliamentary Select Committee issued a statement today regarding the party's position on the government's devolution proposals.
Full story >>

Civilians flee SLA shelling

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Reports from Vavuniya said today that a large number of displaced persons who had settled in the eastern sector of the Mullaithivu district following Operation Riviresa in early 1996, have begun moving enmasse to the western areas of the Vanni.
Full story >>

SLA punishes Batticaloa village officers

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Life has become nightmare for village officers in the Batticaloa district as the Sri Lankan army has begun a sinister campaign to intimidate them into not working in the poverty stricken villages of the district's hinterland which is controlled by the LTTE. Many are languishing in prison and at least one may have been murdered.
Full story >>

Mullaitivu faces total blockade

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The supply of food and other essential goods to the Mullaitivu district may soon been cut off sources in Vavuniya said today. This is mainly due to the SLA's shelling of the dirt road from Kilinochchi district to Mullaitivu and the effect of the monsoon showers on the access road into the Vanni through Madhu.
Full story >>

A new SLA division - and a new deadline

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan army raised a new division this week to throw into its operations against the Liberation Tigers in the Vanni jungles.The new unit is Div.56. It is an infantry division.
Full story >>

Strained bus service to reach Karainagar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Repair work on the Ponnalai causeway which links the western edge of the Jaffna peninsula to the Karainagar island is nearing completion, allowing people to travel by bus.
Full story >>

News In Brief

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Tigers killed 8 Sri Lankan soldiers today. Poor conditions are allowing disease to spread in Thenmaradchi.
Full story >>

SLA pulls out of Muthur

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan army closed down eight camps in the Muthur region this week. The main Sri Lankan military base in this large southern sector of the Trincomalee district will be closed either today or tomorrow, depending on the rate of troop pull out that is under way now.
Full story >>

News In Brief

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Tigers hit two SLA camps in the east and violent incidents continue in Jaffna.
Full story >>

The Galadari Blast - Fallout

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Financial analysts in Colombo said today that the Galadari hotel blast could cost Sri Lanka more than the Central Bank blast in February last year. Initial estimates put the damage around six billion rupees.
Full story >>

News In Brief

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Central bank's research has been disrupted by the Colombo bomb. Sri Lankan press reports of US troops being in the blast area prove unfounded and the Tigers have hit a police station in Jaffna.
Full story >>

Tigers shell Batticaloa army HQ

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
More than sixteen Sri Lankan soldiers were injured this morning around 7.45 a.m when the Liberation Tigers launched a long range heavy mortar attack on the Third Brigade headquarters in the Batticaloa town.
Full story >>

Heavy fighting east of Kanakarayan Kulam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Heavy fighting in the general area east of Kanakarayan Kulam erupted last night when the Liberation Tigers launched a concentrated attack on the Sri Lankan army positions there.
Full story >>

News In Brief

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
A seventeen year old Tamil girl has been assaulted by Sri Lankan soldiers. Puththur market is seeing a revival after SLA troops pulled out from the area, and Pandaththarippu Co-op is to be repaired by the UNDP.
Full story >>

Tigers Attack Sri Lankan Army in Mannar Again

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers launched an attack on a Sri Lankan army position in Mannar today.
Full story >>

SLA suffers heavy casualties

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Over 500 Sri Lankan soldiers have died in bitter fighting in the Vanni in the past 5 days, the LTTE said today. The Liberation Tigers also say that 3 villages occupied by the SLA have been retaken. A huge quantity of arms and ammunition and several vehicles have been captured.
Full story >>