Ambush toll rise to 39 as LTTE escalate attacks in the East

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 June 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Today's attacks on the Pulmoddai police station and on a Sri Lankan military patrol, just two days after the attack in Amparai, claimed the lives of 39 Sri Lankan soldiers and injured another five. Earlier, in the attack on the Sri Lankan military patrol in Amparai, 16 personnel including the members of Sri Lanka's elite Special task force were killed.
Full story >>

Police may interfere with rape and murder investigation

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 June 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Murugesupillai Koneswary, a Tamil mother of four children, was raped and murdered in her home by Sinhalese policemen on the May 17th, according to her neighbours. Amnesty International is concerned that the police may interfere with the investigation, reluctantly launched after local and international protests.
Full story >>

Tamil youth sign up

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan military offensive in the Vanni, apart from precipitating a humanitarian crisis, has another side effect the Sri Lankan government may not welcome: the youth of Tamil villages destroyed by deliberate Sri Lankan bombing and shelling are flocking to LTTE recruitment centres.
Full story >>

Pakistan Story - A scandal in the making?

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Pakistani military officials were involved in the planning stages of the Operation 'Sure of Victory' (Jaya Sikurai), reported a weekly owned by a militia collaborating with the Sri Lankan government in its drive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE also said in a statement on Friday that they had independent confirmation of Pakistani involvement. A claim that was denied by both Sri Lankan and Pakistani Foreign Affairs officials.
Full story >>

Pakistan joins other foreigners in Sri Lanka's war

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 June 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Tamil Tigers say they have independent confirmation that Pakistani officers are involved in planning the current Sri Lankan army offensive in the Vanni. The Pakistanis join several other foreign elements involved in Sri Lanka's war in the Tamil homelands.
Full story >>

Sri Lankan MoD plays the numbers game

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 June 1997, 23:59 GMT]
When Tamil Tiger commandos stormed the Sri Lankan Army's Thandikulum base, they clearly caught the Sri Lankan military off guard. Within hours the Tigers had penetrated 10 miles into SLA-held territory, and successfully overran their targets, inflicting severe casualties on the SLA. However, as soon as the assault began, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense swung into its public relations exercise.
Full story >>

Casualties mount as LTTE maintain control of key town

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 June 1997, 23:59 GMT]
As the battle for control of a key town in the northern Vanni mainland continued, the casualties are rising. Reports from Thandikulam say Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was still in control of some parts of Nochimoddai and the Sri Lankan military was massing troops for a counter offensive.
Full story >>

LTTE blasts bridge, ammunition dumps and shoots down Helicopter Gunship

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 June 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Latest reports coming from Thandikulam in the northern Vanni mainland, 260 kilometres north of Colombo, suggest that hundreds of soldiers killed and many more wounded. According to Colombo sources the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has destroyed at least 5 battle tanks and two ammunition dumps that were located at Thandikulam and Samayapuram five kilometres north of the government held town of Vavuniya.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka army launches another recruitment drive

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 June 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan army has launched another recruitment drive, to replace it's losses in the war against the Tamil Tigers, according to the state-owned Daily News. Recruits are being sought for the army's Special Forces Units which have taken severe casualties in the past 12 months.
Full story >>