8 July
● Four SLAF airmen were wounded while fixing bombs to an Israeli-built Kfir fighter aircraft inside the Katunayake airbase. Initial reports said the aircraft was damaged from the impact of the blast. SLAF spokesman Group Captain Ajantha de Silva declined to comment on the damage to the bombers, and also claimed the explosion was caused by a 30 mm cannon. One of the wounded was in serious condition in Colombo hospital.
● Armed men in black and green gear took Kumarakulasingam Sivanesan, 22, a rheumatic youth away for interrogation from his house at Madduvil south in Thenmaraadchi, Jaffna, and shot him dead. SLA troopers had searched the youth's house just around two hours before the killing. More than seven gun shot wounds were found on the victim's body.
● Civilians living near the LTTE FDL in Vavuniya were relocating to safer areas, fearing further attacks after the SLA launched a sustained artillery barrage on LTTE controlled territories in Vavuniya, causing widespread damage to civilian properties. The SLA in Vauniya has been sporadically firing artillery on the LTTE areas. Meanwhile, SLA and the police continue to cordon off areas and conduct search operations jointly in SLA controlled Vavuniya town.
● The SLA and Police, in a joint pre-dawn search operation, arrested 39 civilians, many of them Sinhalese, in Mount Lavinia, Colombo. The operation covering more than 250 houses lasted for three hours. Many of the arrested did not have identity cards, the Police claimed. Two members of an underworld group hiding in an abandoned house were also arrested with weapons during the operation. Police said the two are suspected to have been involved in many crimes in the area.
7 July
● The Sea Tigers and SLN engaged in a 3-hour battle in the seas off Pulmodai after SLN Fast Attack Crafts (FACs) attempted to intrude into the waters south of Mullaiththeevu. 3 Dvora FACs were damaged in the clash and two Sea Tigers were killed in action. 21 SLN vessels, most of them Dvora FACs, took part in the SLN naval mission. The SLN vessels were chased towards Trincomalee harbour by the Sea Tigers amid heavy artillery fire from the SLA from the shores of Kokilay, Kokuthoduvay, and Pulmodai. The damaged Dvoras were towed into the east port harbour by the SLN, according to the Tigers.
● The SLA continued intensive artillery and MBRL fire along the Northern Front in Jaffna peninsula for more than 12 hours.
● A large number of recently acquired SLN vessels participated in a training exercise on Maathakal Sea, Valigaamam North, Jaffna, in the vicinity of Kankesanthurai (KKS) naval base. The hour-long rehearsal caused tension in neighbouring coastal villages. SLA troops stationed along the coast as well as SLAF helicopters took part in the large scale exercise. A senior military official from KKS military base said the exercise was to establish maritime dominance along northern coasts to thwart attempts by the LTTE to land along the coastal areas, and to strengthen the HSZ along the coast. Similar rehearsals have been recently held by SLN in Valvedithurai and Thondamanaru.
● Konamalai Rajikumar, 18, was shot dead by the SLA at Chithandi Murugan Koyil Road in Eravur, Batticaloa. The police claimed Rajikumar was an LTTE cadre, part of a group who had attacked a SLA foot patrol and was killed in retaliatory fire while the others escaped. The police also said they recovered two hand grenades and a cyanide capsule in Rajikumar’s possession.
6 July
● Gunmen on motor cycle followed S. Sivakumar, 44, a professional marriage broker riding his motor cycle with his son. Sivakumar was shot dead and his son abducted at Aavarangkal, along Jaffna-Point Pedro road, in the Jaffna SLA HSZ where troopers are always present.
● Armed men opened fire on a SLA road patrol team between Thirunelveli and Kalviangkadu at Thirunelveli, Jaffna. The SLA said none of its men were hurt. The road was closed to traffic for nearly three hours following the incident as the SLA searched the surroundings after the men escaped undetected from the site.
● Wijeyakumar Satheeskumar, 22, who was minding a relative’s hotel in Puliyadi Junction, Chavakachcheri, Jaffna, went missing while the owner was out running errands. His body was discovered later with gunshot wounds and hands tied behind his back, close to Dutch Road in Chavakachcheri.
● A SLA Major and five soldiers were killed and seven wounded in the Kudumpimalai (Thoppikkal) jungles when SLA troops confronted LTTE fighters.
● The body of a 24 year old SLA trooper was discovered near the FDL at Eluthumaduval. The body did not have any gunshot injuries but blood was found coming out of his nose and ears, leading to speculation that trauma due to extended physical training caused the death. The trooper was fortifying the FDL at the time of his death, but, mystery continues to surround his death.
5 July
● Two Tamil youths were shot dead by STF troops in Mukalikadai, Pottuvil, Amparai. Police claimed the STF lay an ambush on a tip off that LTTE cadres were moving from Kanchirankuda through Mukalikadai. The police contacted the ICRC and SLMM to hand over the bodies to LTTE, but the LTTE has not commented on the incident.
● 3 soldiers were killed in the North when fighting erupted along the Vavuniya-Mannar border area.
● 10 soldiers were wounded in fighting between Pampaimadu and Uyilangkulam.
● 15 LTTE fighters were killed in the fighting along the FDLs in Vavuniya according to Sri Lanka military officials in Colombo.
● The SLA arrested three Tamil civilians in a cordon and search operation in Gampaha town. Police said the arrested men failed to provide valid reasons for staying in Gampaha. The detainees are being questioned by the Terrorist Intelligence Division.
● A Tamil youth, a resident of Jaffna town, was arrested while he was traveling to Anuradhapura by train from Colombo.
4 July
● Michael Rajan, the owner of a bakery at Tharapuram, Mannar, was abducted as he was transporting his morning bread to his shop. The abductors allegedly telephoned his wife and demanded Rs. 5m for his release. Threats to and extortion of money from local traders by paramilitaries had been on the decline in recent weeks in Vavuniya, but seem to be reemerging.
● A Karuna Group paramilitary member was killed and two EPDP paramilitary members wounded when the two groups, attached to the Kommathurai SLA base in Chengkaladi, Batticaloa, clashed. The Karuna Group has been harassing the EPDP, against carrying out campaign activities in Batticaloa district for the last two months. Five Karuna group personnel entered the premises of the EPDP camp, charged grenades and fired at their house, wounding two EPDP personnel. SLA troopers providing security to both camps had to fire at the attackers to control the fight.
● Arumugam Kirubakaran, 25, a Hindu priest and resident of Vinayakapuram, Thirukkoyil, went missing after he left home riding his bicycle towards the Pillaiyar temple in Vinayakapuram. His bicycle is also missing.
3 July
● Men armed with pistols shot and injured a police constable in front of Jaffna courts, as he and a fellow policeman reported for duty at the Courts premises.
● Three SLA troopers were killed when assailants triggered a claymore mine in Kalvi Road, Vavuniya. The soldiers were attached to the newly established SLA camp in Mathakuvaitha Kulam. The troopers were on their way to take a bath in the local irrigation tank when the claymore mine was triggered.
● Ms. Tharumarasa Conseira, 38, from Allarai north in Mesalai, Jaffna, has been reported missing since February 24. She went missing as she was returning home after medical treatment at Jaffna Teaching Hospital, according to a complaint made by her mother at the SLHRC. Her mother suspects Conseira was arrested or abducted on the way home in a bus along Jaffna-Kandy road. Conseira's mother said her daughter's husband and relatives were trapped in Vanni with the closure of the A9 last year.
● Kaaththaankudi Police arrested two Tamils at Navatkuda, Batticaloa, and chanrged them with possessing detonators and wires. Mrs. Malarvizhi Mahendrakumar, 37, and Kanthasami Vazhirajan, 30, both of Mariyamman Kovil Road, Navatkuda, were subjected to severe interrogation. The police claimed they recovered the detonators and wires after searching their houses following a tip off.
● Ms. Kathiravelu Pushparanee, 60, who lives near Jaffna University campus, complained to the Jaffna SLHRC that she was tortured by SLA troopers who forcibly entered her house in Thirunelveali. She also filed complaints with the SLMM and ICRC offices in Jaffna. SLA troopers tortured five other young women relatives, including her daughter, demanding information about a youth, Pushparanee said. She sought protection from the SLHRC, saying SLA troopers confiscated the National Identity Cards of the five women and ordered them to report at Urelu SLA camp. The SLMM office, when approached to verify the complaint, declined to comment on the incident.
● Assailants hurled a hand grenade at the house of a trader in Goodshed Road, Vavuniya. The explosion did not cause injuries or damage to any property, but police suspect it is linked to a ransom demand on the trader.
2 July
● A youth from Sivan Koayiladi, Chavakachcheri, Jaffna, was admitted to hospital in serious condition after he attempted to commit suicide by taking poison. Visuvaratnam, 22, had been arrested by the SLA two days previously and was subjected to severe torture. Relatives said he was hung upside down and severely beaten, and that he had severe torture marks to his upper body and face. SLA soldiers confiscated his national ID card, released Visuvaratnam few minutes before the start of the curfew and ordered him to report again to the camp on two days later, but he attempted suicide instead.
● Several hundred SLA troopers entered Chankanai, Jaffna, during the early morning curfew hours and searched areas covering Vadukkodai, Chithankerni, Mavadi and Chulipuram. Vehicular traffic was blocked from entering or leaving the affected areas during the search. Government servants traveling to work and school children were severely affected by the operation.
● More than 100 people were investigated and 25 of them arrested in a large scale cordon and search operation by the SLA and police in the plantation districts, in the predominantly Tamil areas of Talawakelle and Bogawanthalawa. Five of the arrested are from Jaffna and the others are residents of up country.
● Armed men shot dead Markandu Krishnapillai, 37, in Kaluvankeni, Batticaloa. Krishnapillai was visiting his sister when armed men called him out of the house, shot him dead, and fled on a motorbike.
